Fairy Tail : The Imperium Encounter (Re-Upload)
by BlackMirror End
Summary: Fates weaves strings upon strings and interlocks them in infinite ways. That's why life is so interesting and a story after the final words have so much more possibilities. This is a tale of how an act of kindness, a romance and one more enemy could dramatically change the fate of everyone. (Adventure/Tragedy/Romance since I could only add two captions)
1. Chapter 1 - Mysterious Rescue

**Greetings everyone! After much deliberation (and finally finding time to write again), I have taken the wonderful advice of XandriaZuzanna and re-wrote Fairy Tail : The Imperium Encounter according to his suggestion. A few edits here and there, but it mostly remains the same (if you ddin't see it the first time, then yay I guess ?). So sit back, relax, and enjoy my tale**

* * *

"Natsu, what's wrong … Whoa!". Happy took the words out of Natsu's and basically everybody's mouth.

As they gazed up in awe and terror, a great black figure slowly made itself visible from the clouds.

"What the heck is that?!" screams Gray.

"It's…. huge" Elfman says in disbelief.

A loud and terrifying roar echoes throughout the air, as if signaling to all who could hear that their doom was at hand.

"It's a… it's a….." Juvia, so terrified, could not finish her own sentence.

Luckily for her, Bixlow did.

"Dragon!" he says.

"What in the world?" says Lucy as the dragon flies above them. The power in the wings were so great, that as it passed a strong gale occurred.

Gajeel, unsure what to make of the situation, merely says "Seriously?!".

"A real dragon…." says an extremely shocked Wendy.

"So…. There are dragons alive after all…. ". Natsu was at a loss. He, along with Wendy and Gajeel, were searching for any proof at all that the dragons were still alive. They searched and prayed for any sign at all. Now, after so long they finally see definitive proof. One can only imagine the shock of finding something that you spent so long seeking, but that shock was soon replaced with a sense of fear.

Makarov then spoke out "The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse…. Is this the one, Gildarts? Is this…. Acnologia?".

"Yeah, this is the one." he replies to Makarov.

* * *

Meanwhile, out at sea there flew a small fleet of magical warships. They were manned by warriors on all decks and appeared to be heavily armed for war. At the center of this fleet flew two distinct looking warships.

"My lord, did you hear that?" ask a crew lady managing one of the magical navigational circles on one of those unique warships. She had echoed the thoughts of the other crew members in the brig and they all looked towards the captain for an answer.

The master of this warship sat quietly in his chair before answering his crew.

"So you did hear it too and here I was thinking that I'm hearing things ….. again ".

"But…. what was it my lord?" asks another crew member.

"That is what I wish to know as well. Navigations Officer, isolate background noise and triangulate the location of that sound."

"Yes, my lord." As the officer begins to configure the runes on his deck, the brig starts beeping and a screen appears.

"So, you going deaf or did you hear the same thing I did? ". The master of the other unique war ship appeared to him and his recipient replied

"Yes and I bet the entire strike fleet heard it too." "

You should see them shaking in their boots. Man, these people are easy to spook. "

"Remember, these people are what's going to help us in the invasion."

"Yeah, yeah you think I don't know that?" says the other warship master .

"Sir, the interface has done as you asked and it has found the location of that sound."

"Excellent, now show me the area." The crewman configures a few more runes and then a screen of the area appears.

"Magnify by x100….. x200….. x300…. X1000". As the screen came close enough, the crew in the brig dropped their jaws in shock . In a tiny island not far their position, there landed a huge black dragon. They couldn't believe their eyes. Dragons have been considered extinct for years and for them to see one even from afar was indeed a surprise.

"You should take a look at this" he says to the other ship master . He orders his crew to do the same thing that the other crew did and then the screen appeared too.

His crew expressed the same level of shock as the other crew, but he just gave a big smile. "Why I be damned, it's a dragon. A real freak'n dragon and by the looks of this there are people on that island. Poor , lucky bastards. I give them five minuet's tops"

The master of the first warship orders his crew to confirm if there were people there and to his surprise there were. "Hmmm, looks like you're right."

One of other crewmember snaps out of his surprise and asks what anyone who serves a superior would do.

"My lord, what is your will? "

"….. Command the fleet to halt. I wish to see how this plays out." The warship stops and the crew along with the master watch the scenario play out before them.

* * *

"You, do you know here Igneel is? And Grandine and Metalicana too? " Natsu was so eager to see if this dragon, the first he has ever seen since Igneel's disappearance all those many years ago, that he completely abandoned all sense of fear and shock.

"Knock it off, Natsu!" Gildarts pulls him aside.

"I know I told you how I got this arm. No, how I got my whole body like this!" The pink haired wizard gritted his teeth as he remembered what Gildarts had told him the first day he returned to Fairy Tail : Of how he was no match for the beast, how his body was mangled, how it toyed with him and that no man can beat it.

As if on cue to prove Gildart's claim, the mighty beast landed with great force. The island shook as it touched down and wind blew from it's the impact.

"This bastard is the enemy of humanity".

"Are we gonna fight it ? " asks Natsu as he redies himself.

Gildarts was quick to tell him otherwise. "No. You're lookin' at this the wrong way, Natsu. It's not about winning or losing with this one. It's, how are we gonna escape from it? No, more like, which of us are gonna survive? "

The dragon takes one mighty steps towards its prey while Natsu asks in complete disbelief

"You're sayin' that this thing is gonna kill some of us?" The mighty beast roars a terrifying roar, as if a confirmation that it will indeed kill them all or at least take some of them down. The dragon readies his head for another roar and Gildarts yells for everyone to run like hell.

The beast lets out another mighty roar, but unlike the last one this roar was so powerful that it blew away the entire forest behind them.

* * *

If the crew of the warships weren't shocked before, then they were definitely at an utter loss of words now. Even if they were a safe distance, seeing the effects of that powerful roar was more than enough to terrify them to their core.

Except for the two captains that is, of which one smiled in delight while the other looks slightly surprised.

"Damn, if I had a roar like that I could better terrorize people with no sweat all!".

"Don't you already have enough power with you?".

"Aw come on, you can never have too much BOOM BOOM BOOM!".

"What the hell…? The whole forest is just… gone." Natsu's words echo through the screen and coincidently were the thoughts of both crews as well.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, Pinky. Oh you people are screwed now."

The other master ignores his antics and simply observes as the others on the island express their disbelief on the matter.

* * *

"I guess that was its way of introducing itself, for now…". "We're all still alive right?!" Gildarts asks. After he saw that indeed everyone was alive, he then shouts to everyone to get off the island just as the dragon flies up and readies itself for the attack.

"Here it comes! Everyone, get your butt's on the boat NOW!" They all run for the hills, or in this case, the boat as the dragon gives chase to the terrified mages.

The dragon catches up to both Bickslow and Fried and tries to take a bit out of them but only to miss by just a few feet. However, the rest of the group were unaware that the two escaped and just assumed the worst.

Evergreen cries out to her teammates "Bickslow! Fried! ".

"Damn, it cut us off ?!" shouts Gray.

As the rest look on in terror, Wendy shouts out to the dragon.

"Why?! Why are you doing this?! Answer me!"

The dragon simply looks on, not caring to use words on creatures that it considers nothing more than insects. As the dragon continues to play with them, off in the distance Zeref explains to the two remaining Oracion Seis members as to the nature of the beast.

"There are some things in this world you just can't fight against. Humankind is going to learn that now. "

"It looks like another long journey is about to begin." As Natsu charges towards the great beast, Zeref gives one last goodbye to Natsu.

Seeing that the situation is more than hopeless, Makarov rips out his shirt and uses his titan magic to match the dragon in size and tells his guild members to run for the ship. They all froze. If anything were to happen to the master, then…. then….. The thought was so inconceivable that they all refused to leave and offered to stay and fight.

Makarov, not having the time nor the luxury of patience since he was trying to wrestle a dragon, quickly rebuked them all.

"Are you gonna ignore your masters orders even to the end?! You damn brats!".

The end…..

Those words cut like a knife in all of their hearts. In everything that they've been through, no words seemed to hurt them more than to hear their master declare that it was indeed his end. He was like a father figure to them and the thought of losing him was…

While everybody was still reeling in from the shock, Laxus saw that his grandfather was indeed serious and, although with great sadness, started to drag Natsu away from the scene. Natsu naturally resisted, but as he saw the tear in Laxus's eye, he understood that it hurt him just as much to leave their master.

As they all run with tears in their eyes, the Makarov gives them an excellent exposition. It was actually more of his last words to his family. It was cool whether you heard it in English or read the English subs….. that is until you realize that he was saying it all in his head.

But to his defense, he was wrestling a giant black dragon so I would imagine that even speaking would be difficult… and he had to fight the thing! Oh how fate can sometimes be cruel.

The master of the second ship suddenly starts laughing at the unfortunate turn of events for the Fairy Tail members.

* * *

"Bwahahahah! Oh man, seeing people cry always makes me warm on the inside and to boot I get to see a giant fight a dragon! Oh I should have brought some popcorn. Somebody tell me their getting this on recording. Ya' know what? Put this on recording and get me some freakin' popcorn! ".

"Yes, my lord." Replies one of his crewmen.

"Get it here quick, or you'll be the one steamed and fried."

The crewman the hurriedly makes his way out of the brig. "ALRIGHT, let the show begin! BOOM BOOM BOOM!"

* * *

Makarov begins by trying holding back the dragon to the best of his ability while the rest of the members escape.

" I don't know what you're after…. But you're not getting' past me! 'Cause my brats are behind me!"

The dragon replies by easily knocking back and into the ground in a matter of seconds. It then digs its claws into Makarov's chest and opens its mouth for the killing blow… or more like killing chomp.

Just as the beast is about to take the bite, Makarov starts laughing. This sudden outburst of joyful laughter confuses the beast and so he stops for a second.

"For the first time…. I acted like a parent. I have no more regrets." Makarov thinks to himself.

Instead of looking at his would be killer, he looks towards the skies above him and readies himself for the killing blow.

However, it never came instead Natsu came running back and climbed on the dragon.

"Gimme back… Gramps!"

The dragon then tosses Makarov aside as he tries to shake the pink haired mage off his arm like a bug. As Makarov reverts back to his normal size from the impact, he looks again and this time sees Erza standing in front of him.

"Erza, you too?!".

To her side Laxus appeared as well.

"I was against it, but do you think the people in your guild would run away, leaving a senile old fool behind? "

Erza the raises her sword and declares "Bring it!" to which the rest charge at the mighty beast.

"Idiots". Makarov may have called them idiots, but he was grateful that his family decided to stay with him even until the end; it even brought tears to his eyes.

Laxus yells at everybody to give it everything they have or else he would give them the whooping of a lifetime. He tells them to combine their attacks with his lightning attack, of which they all happily oblige.

"Hey, Natsu! Get outta the way!"

"W-W-Wait a second!" Natsu panics.

Ignoring his pleas, Erza shouts " Laxus! Now!"

"Hey!" the pink haired mage protets.

"RAGING BOLT!"

"Heavens Wheel! Blumenblatt!"

" Super Freeze Arrow!"

"Water Nebula!"

"Solid Script Fire!"

"Sagittarius, now!"

"Evil Explosion!"

"It's been a long time since the Raijinshuu fought together!" "

Really let'im have it! "

"Hiyahh!"

Truly it was a spectacle to behold. The strongest members of Fairy Tail all doing their most powerful attacks on the mighty black dragon. It was a myriad of color that embodied both the unwavering spirit of Fairy Tail and the strong unity that the guild had.

Off in the distance, a mysterious, beautiful girl looked on all forlorn. At this point, no one knows who she is, what she is, or that she is even there. But apparently, she knew something that saddened her greatly a she watched that all-or-nothing attack and gave a silent prayer for the souls of the mages.

Laxus, still attacking the beast with his magic, cursed at the beast

"Damned monster! You took everything we got and you're still grinnin' ?! "

Seeing that the other magic's weren't working, he called out to the three Dragon Slayers (oh and by the way, happy flew Natsu out of the attack in the nick of time, so he's all good ) to do their part.

"You guys , last chance to take him down!"

"Go, Natsu!"

The three Dragon Slayers, who at this point were the only hope left on the island, used their cats to fly up to the beast and prepare for the attack.

"Laxus, I am so gonna kick the butt of that that jackass later " says Natsu,

While Happy replies sarcastically "Right…. later"

Gajeel is the first to strike and with a mighty shout unleashes his attack

"Roar of the Iron Dragon!"

Wendy then follows directly after "Roar of the Sky Dragon!"

Lastly, Natsu follows up "Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

The beast felt the force of that blow, since unlike the other magic attack this magic was design to harm dragons. The impact had an effect this time, as it knocked back the dragon with such the force that it crashed into a part of the island which in turn sunk into the sea along with the dragon.

It could have ended there and the crews on both of sides gave a cheer when they saw the mighty beast fall.

But if it was that easy….. well, we wouldn't have a story now would we?

* * *

As the rest cheered, the second master gave his remarks " Tch, some dragon you are! Oh no I can take the attack of all those mages, but when three come flying by I'm sooooooooo scared! Pfft, ripoff lizard! What do you think?"

He looks at the face of the first master and realizes what he is thinking.

"He he he, it's not over… is it?"

To which the first master replies with a deadpanned "No".

The second commander then gets all excited again and shouts "Oh YEAH, I was kinnda hoping for this! Dragon, I take back what I said! YOU AER THE BOMB!"

A crew lady of the first unique ship ask "My lord…. What does he mean? What do …. you mean? It was knocked back into the sea, they should have won."

He gives no reply, and continues to silently observe.

* * *

The guild looks on in silence. After all that has happened, did they really do it? Did they defeat a dragon? The very first dragon seen in a long time? The mighty beast that threatened to kill them all?

Sadly, it was not meant to be as Gildarts was the one to bear the bad news. "No. It's not using the power that it did when it fought me. It's just toying with us!"

No sooner did he break the hopes of victory in the hearts of his guild mates when the ground beneath them started shaking. A second later, the beast flew out of the water and high into the air as if to say to all of them without using any words " Is that the best you got?"

They were all shocked beyond description and disappointed beyond words.

"Bastard!" shouts Gajell at the creature.

Wendy, on her knees, lamented "Even though we gave it all we had… and we had the power of three Dragon slayers… even with concentrating the entire guilds power together… "

Natsu fell to his knees too, but instead of lamenting he cursed at the wind

"DAMN IT! Some help Dragon slayer magic is!"

Pantherlily started to wonder aloud "What does it intend to do?"

Happy, terrified at what was happening, says "Maybe it'll just go home…"

"Don't be an idiot you fool. Look!" Whether the dragon knew of poetic justice or not, it decided to return the favor to the Dragon Slayers… neigh, to everyone on the island. He took a mighty breath and prepared to unleash its breath attack.

* * *

At that point, the master of the first warship stood from his seat and ordered his crew to aim the guns at the dragon.

"Pardon, my lord?" asks one crew girl.

" You heard me, I said aim all arcane rail guns and prepare for a barrage."

"But, sir…. " she asks.

The captain calmly replied " Worry not, I only wish to try something."

"Hey, hey , hey, what are you gonna do?" asks the second master.

The first master looks back to the screen and gives an ominous smile

"The first dragon seen in decades and you just want to watch? I thought you were more than that. Besides, those people look like they could use the help and it's always good to help people right? "

The second master gives a smirk. Though these two were as different as they could be, they did understand each other even without words. The first master quickly makes his way to the front deck with the arcane rail guns and activates the communication's interface on that deck.

"Are they aimed? "

The officer in the brig hails him a reply "Yes, my lord. But… are you sure about this? What about the invasion?"

"It's only one barrage. There will be more than enough left. Now, unleash on my command."

The mighty, magic powered guns turn towards the direction of the dragon and begin to charge up. He looks to his side and sees that the second master has just arrived on his respective warships deck and that his guns are aiming for the beast as well.

"Officer, bring up another interface and show me both the dragon and the people." Two more interfaces show up and do as instructed.

He then continues to watch the situation closely.

* * *

Canna, not believing what is about to happen, ask "Don't tell me it means to wipe out the entire island ?!"

As others express their disbelief, Lucy cries out

"Maybe it's just hopeless."

Natsu looks up and she's that she is crying.

"Is it gonna end for all of us here?"

Natsu looks towards his other friends and sees Erza, Fried and Levy discussing other forms of defensive magic. Lissana tells everyone to focus their magic on Fried and Levy while Natsu helps Lucy get up.

Natsu gives out what could be his last defiant statement.

"We're not gonna let it end here!" "Right! I refuse to give up!" They then all hold hands and with one last mighty, shouted benediction declare "To Fairy Tail!"

The beast prepares his breath, eager to deliver the epic blow that would have ended it all until the first master gives his declaration as well . A declaration that would be the start of everything.

* * *

"Now…. Rain death on the beast!"

The mighty structures of destruction charge up , along with the other masters, and fire at the mighty dragon. The beams travel so fast that in the span of a second they reach the back of the dragon and interrupt its coup de grace.

Gildarts is the first to notice as he sees the colorful beams hit the dragon." What the hell?! "

Gray notices it to and says " Guys, what was that?! "

They then all look up and seen that the dragon has indeed stopped its attack.

The first master waits for his screen to clear and sees that the dragon looking at the general direction of the attack that so rudely interrupted him.

The second master hails him and says " Well…. that didn't work. What now?! "

The first master says nothing but only goes into a stance.

"Oooooooh, I know what you're thinking."

The second master goes into a stance too.

Wendy, still confused as to what was going on echoes the thoughts of everyone at the moment

"What just happened? I thought it was going to…"

"Me too, did anyone see what happened?" asks Erza.

"A beam came from out of nowhere !" says Fried.

* * *

They all then look up and see that the beam has caught the beast's attention.

"Damn, what was that?" asks Gajeel.

The two masters perform their respective techniques and unleash their magical attacks on the beast.

" Volcanic Collider!" says the second master as he summons three large magic rings and unleashes three massive fireballs that upon release broke the sound barrier.

"Void Shatter!" says the first commander as reality itself appeared to tear and rip into a bolt of black lightning that headed for the dragon. Unlike the first master, his attack made an eerie banshee-like screech that would give even the bravest warrior chills.

The two attacks travel as fast as the arcane rail guns, but unlike the guns these attacks were powerful enough to knock the mighty beast down.

The guild sees this second attack hit their would be destroyer with even greater force than before . So great was this that it knocked the dragon further inland.

"What the hell is going on?! " shouts Natsu .

It took three Dragon slayers and almost everything they had to knock it into the sea. Now for some magic blasts to come out of nowhere and just save in the nick of time was up for questioning.

As everyone wondered what kind of power or divine intervention just saved them, Erza was the first to realize that whatever it was it had given them enough time to escape.

"Everyone, run for the ship! NOW!"

They all obeyed without a moment's hesitation and all began to run for the ship.

"Gramps, where did that magic come from?" ask Laxus as they all run for the ship.

"I don't know… but maybe fate has other plans for us." (Or in this case an author with a "sadistic" plan in mind)

Within a matter of minutes, they all make it to the ship which was in surprisingly good condition considering all the things that happened on the island.

They let down the sails and prepare for a hasty retreat.

"Hold on, I don't who or what that was but I don't think it gave us enough time to even sail away from that thing!" Gajeel screams.

Elfman then shouts to the three Dragon slayers, "Hoy, do you three have enough juice to boost us out of here"

"I'll try" says Wendy.

"Don't order me around !" says Gajeel, though he too prepares for another breath.

The three make their way to the back of the ship and all prepare their breath attacks.

"Ready!" shouts Natsu.

The three dig deep for one last attacks and shout

"Roar of the Iron Dragon!"

"Roar of the Sky Dragon!"

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!". The attack that knocked the beast into the sea was now aiding them in their desperate escape.

Makarov looks back at the precious island while Evergreen asks

"Master, what about the island?"

Makarov replies. "It was there before us and it will be there after all of us. That place has something protecting it, and I doubt even a dragon could bring it down. It's a tough lady that island, after all….."

* * *

As the guild sails away at breakneck speeds, the two masters looks at their interfaces to see the aftermath.

"Oh man! It's not even scratched! Hey, can we use the fleet to capture it? I want it as a pet. It's BOOM BOOM BOOM material!"

The first master replies otherwise " As the troops say 'If that can't do jack, then fold cause nothin' will'. We must depart, immediately."

"Pfft, chicken."

The first master merely replies "Don't you remember our orders ? We still have an invasions to do "

"Oh, right! I almost forgot. But hey, I'm watching the recordings again until we get there. "

As the second master returns to his deck, the first master looks on into the sea and says to himself

" A most interesting revelation. The data would please him indeed. Good thing that those people escaped too, it's always nice to help. Even if….. Well, I hope they prosper. Maybe I'll even see them again. Fate weaves in mysterious ways after all "

" Navigations Officer, activate Arcane Interdimensional Manipulator runes and prepare the fleet for transmission. "

He then walks back to his deck and awaits for preparations . " Clearance level : Shipmaster. Confirmed. Nulifex engagement field ready. Activating runes : Gyo, Juxong, Luxos, Hiesendo , Antu Vere, Polis, Handez, Nixem . Runes ready, engaging magical circle index. Inscribing coordinates ….. Coordinates inscribed. Portal awaiting use…. now."

A large portal appears in front of the fleet and commander gives the order to enter. " All fleets , transmit to the portal. We don't want that beast to unleash his wrath upon us and interrupting the invasion. "

The mighty warships then enter the portal and as mysteriously as they appear in this story they just as mysteriously disappear from the sea.


	2. Chapter 2 - A Meeting of Fate

**Greetings and Salutations everyone! I have for you both good news and bad news. The good news is that after much effort and by forces of chaos that were beyond my control, I was finally able to finish this chapter! Also, while in that unfortunate time, I was able to finish the draft for the next three chapters so I wouldn't have to come up with these from compete scratch on the computer! Now the next one will be published in a relatively shorter time! YAY :) The bad news, this chapter is a filler of sorts but it deals with the aftermath of our hero's escape. Also, I heard the Fairy Tail manga was ending already. NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! IF ONLY THAT PERIOD DIDN'T HAPPEN THEN MORE CHAPTERS WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT. WHY CRUEL FATE WHYYYYY?! *Ahem* I apologize for that outburst. It's not very gentlemanly.**

 **But my personal troubles aside, I truly hope you enjoy this chapter. I put my heart and soul into it after all :)**

 **And as always, I will leave it at your discretion to praise, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see it fit. Now, unto our tale.**

* * *

We bring our eyes to the city port of Hargeon. At first glance, it looks ordinary. It's nothing more than a usual port tow. Workers laboring away at the docks, children running in the streets without a care in the world while playing with each other, housewives exchanging juicy gossips among themselves as a little distraction from their daily duties, hardy sailors exchanging tales and blows at the local taverns, and mighty and majestic galleons from lands far and wide docking in for a temporary relive from their journey's into lands unknown.

Indeed, one would not be faulted for thinking that this idyllic scenery was indeed ordinary. But we must all remember, this is not the mundane world. Unlike the mundane world magic is present, known, and used here and the unexpected is the norm here.

"Oi, ya' think ya' can git away with stealin' IN MY PORT?! HUH, ya' grots?!" screams a salty voice. This my fellow readers is the harbor master or more precisely an angry harbor master yelling at would be thieves stealing from his beloved port.

"Um, technically we're smugglers…." Replies one of the thieves.

"Do ya' see di's hat?"

"Um, yes?" replies another

"Do ya' grots Know whu' it means?"

"It means dat' I'm in charge and ANYTHIN' NOT REGISTER'D IS THIEFIN' ! "

"Umm, don't you mean illegal?" say another.

"Precisely ya" git. Ye'r lucky I'm in a good mood. Otherwise, I would murder ya'! "

"Nobody get's the bettr' of me in my port! No one! "

"Which remoinds me"

He picks up the bunch from their spot and moves them about an inch to the right. He moves as well, and starts to count down with his fingers.

"Ummm, what exactly are you doing?" asks one of the smugglers.

"Shut it ya' grot. I'm waitin'somethin' !"

"Five, Four, Three, Two and…. One"

Just as he finishes counting down, something huge of supposedly undeterminable origin from where he was facing crashes at high speeds to where he and his captives were a few moments ago. Their jaws drop in shock. Whether it was because their lives were saved or that for some unknown reason their captor actually saw it coming. I mean, he was facing freakin' backwards for Christ's sakes!

He takes a smoke in his pipe thing (forgot what it was called) and gave them an "I told you nothing surprises me in my port" look.

After inhaling the noxious fumes, he turns around just to see which poor, unfortunate idiot messed his harbor. He had a guess, but he did it anyway just to make sure.

All it took was one quick glance for him to know who the perpetrators were and he just as quickly brings out his log.

"Thieves and a profit. Di's is gonna be a gud' day!" If there was something he loved more than his precious port, it was the coin he acquired to use on his precious port. He maneuvers through the rubble like it was second nature and jumps into the vessel.

"Well, at least ya' gits did nu' hit any other ships di's time. Plus, ya' managed to stay in the port. Plus, der's a good part of the stockpile dat' ya' didn't hit.…" He rambles on and on about the costs while not even trying to sound empathetic. Truth be told, he was actually enjoying himself all in legal, businesslike sadistic way.

Lucy was the first among them all to awaken. She was quick to regret it since she found herself high up on the mast of the ship. From her scary vantage point she could see that the others were unconscious as well, though she questioned why she out of all of them ended up so terrifyingly high.

Mirajayne and her sister were the next to return to consciousness and luckily for them their position was less compromising. If one can consider teetering on the edge of the ship less compromising.

"Ouch, that hurt. Sister, are you ok?" Lisanna asks while trying to leverage herself back into the boat.

Mirajayne helps her sister gain footing and flashes her a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry, I've been through worse"

"Hey Fried, would you mind getting your foot off my face?"

"Fried…first… get your hand out of my…" he pants in pain

"Huh?! Out of your wha-"

He saw what part on Frieds body his hand and landed on and immediately wished that he didn't know.

"AWWWW, GROSS! " sums it up perfectly.

"Hey, what about me?!" protests Evergreen as well.

"Hey, wake up. Can you hear me? Wake up!" Canna screams to her unconscious father as she tries to pull his head out from the hull. This would be quite shameful indeed for the Ace of Fairytail were he not joined by the "next" Grandmaster and the "Man" of the guild.

Brothers in guild and in shame.

"Ugh… What is this thing pressing down on Juvia?" Juvia wonders just as she regains consciousness. As if an unexpected gift left to her by the gods, she sees that the heavy thing is an unconscious Gray on top of her. Not wanting to look deviant, she quickly pretends to be unconscious again.

Off in the corner, our dragon mages were not doing any better.

"Kyah! Charles, I can't see! Did someone turn off the sun?!" Wendy yells to her feline companion from the inside of a barrel.

"Silly child, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Who in their right mind would ever think that the sun is turned off?"

Gajeel coincidently answers her question by coming to the same conclusion as well.

"Gyahh! What is this? Did somebody turn the sun off?!"

"Does this mean that Gajeel is not in his right mind?" a worried Pantherlilly asks.

"You've been with him this long and you still have a hard time believing that?" she retorts.

And Natsu…. Hold on, his not with these two and his not with the others either. Weird. Wasn't he at the back propelling everyone away from their impending but Deus-Ex'ed saved doom? Give me a sec….searching every frame…no, that's a pink turnip…. Ah there they are! Now along with the story.

Having given as much if not a little bit more than the other two, Nastu was knocked back from the impact as well. But instead of a barrel making him question the suns ability to spontaneously switch off, his semi- conscious state indicated to him that he landed on something metal hard and silky soft.

As his consciousness slowly reclaimed it's grips on reality, Natsu began to realize that metla was armor and silky soft was skin. But not just any skin, it was the face of his red haired and close as hell nakama Erza Scarlet.

Now let's take a step back and analyze this situation.

Guy and girl.

A man and a maiden.

Alone and isolated.

Together in close proximity.

One is up and about while the other is out for the count.

One is ready and the other is prepared for him.

His eyes steady and locked on his target.

A potential predator ready to pounce and potential prey right in front of him.

The former is in complete control of the moment.

Now after reading those words, what does one think might happen? To those on the outside, it may seem no more than sentences to make this literary work a bit longer. To those on the inside (in particular the anime community) your minds just even if for a second thought of some potential , romantic, rule 34-ish echhi, doki-doki goodness. Oh you bastards you.

But speculations aside, what will in this point of time happen? Well, let's find out shall we?

He was on top and she was on the bottom. She could do nothing in that moment and he could do anything. Though there were others on the ship that might see the potential act he may commit if he was to do it quickly then it would not matter.

He raises his hand. The naughty and forbidden pleasures endless from that point. Primed and ready, it slowly descends to her smooth, silky, plumb, and soft….. …..face.

What, did you people actually think that even for a second that Natsu could take a hint let alone in a golden chansu such as this?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH !

By now, you should have realized how dense this guy is. Heck, he puts a black hole to shame!. But hey, if you did then YAY I'm getting better at this. For those who didn't even buy it then congratulations. Here, take a cookie to lucky twat you.

"Hoy, Erza? Are you okay? Are you awake?" he casually says while slapping her in the face.

"Hoy, wake up. We're here already!"

"Erza? Erza? Hellllooooo?"

After a good number of comical slaps , Erza finally wakes up. Her eyes slowly focus on the pink haired mage's goofy, grinning face.

Okay , she thought. Nothing wrong with that. At least she wasn't outside of the ship. Even if by a slight chance that she was sent flying off the runes around the ship would have prevented that so it's all honky dory.

"Natsu, what are you doing?" the scarlet haired mage asks her currently "dominant" friend.

"Ah, Erza. I'm glad you're finally awake. " he responds with a smile.

"That didn't answer my question. What are you doing?"

"I was just trying to wake you up like I usually do" he replies with his goofish grin

"Natsu, it may be okay in my room at night but don't do it when we're outside. "

"Why, there's nothing wrong with it. You said so yourself"

"I know what I said Natsu but just….. just don't do it outside"

"Hm?"

"*sigh* It's like when we take a bath with each other"

"…. Oh! Okay, why didn't you just say so?"

Though after saying that he didn't budge at all and just smiled.

Having a strange feeling and seeing that she was getting nowhere, she replied in a manner Natsu understood… with a Kill-Bill coffin style punch to his gut. Whether he deserved it or not, it finally did get the job done.

"Now we have to see how the others are doing. Come on , Natsu" she says as she casually walks off and leaves him there writhing in unspeakable agony.

"Is everyone okay? " she asks to her companions.

"Yes, Erza. I think we're all here" Mirajane replies.

"To be sure, let's do a roll call."

"Laxus, Fried, Gajeel, Wendy , Bickslow, Evergreen, Elfman, Gildarts, Master, Gray, Lucy , Juvia, Marijane, Lissana, Happy, Pantherlilly, Lucy, Levy…Levy? "

"Here!" she shouts back as she comes to view.

"Ah, good and finally Natsu. Okay we're all here."

" Der's da masonary work, da brik'c fer da' masons, and finally da' usual Magic destruction tax. " The Harbor master finally finishes his ridiculously long list and hands it over to Makarov.

"Thanks , Fighharln". He doesn't even bother to look at the list. This has been happening for so long that it's become routine or at least Makarov had to make it routine because looking at the list always gave him a heartattack.

"Erza, is everyone here?" he asks. Costs didn't matter at this moment for his "children" mattered more.

"Yes master" she assured him. Other than Laxus and Gildarts, it was her de facto duty to act as the "assistant master". She didn't want the responsibility per se, but somebody had to it and it was growing on her.

"Good. Come one everyone, let's get off this ship" From the events that transpired he was tired. After all, running from impending doom after miserably failing to fight it would take the wind and the spirit from anybody. In fact they were all tired and just wanted some semblance of comfort.

"Oi, ya' grots look like a greenhorn dat' just came out of a tavern brawl"

"Well, we had a long day Fighharln "

"Wot, ya run from death or somthin' ?"

"Something of the sort" That was all we wanted to say on the matter. It may be good to tell the truth, but he didn't want others to know a dragon is on the loose….. not yet at least. What mattered now was getting some rest. He then motioned to the rest of the guild and they all began to leave the ship.

"Oi!"

Makarov turns his head to respond.

"We've all 'ad dem crummy days. Pay when yer' good and ready, Oi can wait by the end of the 6th month and I won't record it until then"

Hearing this enlightened his mood a little bit.

"Thanks again, Fighharln. I owe you one"

"You owe me four now ya grot"

They exchange smiles and Makarov and his guild went on their way.

"Now, let's see if dem' gits are tryin' to escape"

He shifts his attention to his earlier prey and sees that during his absence they were indeed trying to escape. Only to be stopped just before they got out of the docks by a painful shock emanating from the ropes.

"Ha, I told dem nobs that nothin' get's da better of me in my port. "

* * *

The guild drag themselves through the crowded streets and to a nearby inn that when compared to the streets was as empty as a ghost town.

The innkeeper looked up from her log and gave her rehearsed but sincere reply to the tired mages "Greetings and Welcome to the CozyHome Inn. How may I be in your service today? "

"Do you have rooms available?" Makarov asks her.

"Why yes. We have more than enough for all of you."

"We'll take them."

"Excellent, give me a moment to prepare."

She disappears into the door behind her but is not gone for long for she returns with a handful of keys.

"Here you go. A key for each of you. You could also share rooms too if you want, but only for a maximum of two people."

"Thank you" was the guild master's response as she leaves the metal pile on the table.

"You know, we don't get many customers during the day. What's your story?"

"We would rather not talk about if you don't mind"

"Not to worry, I can respect privacy. Enjoy you stay now"

They all take the keys and go to their rooms. Some of them going together in one room like Mirajane and Lissanna while others go on separately. From there, they all relaxed and slowly faded into the realm of dreams.

Teeth.

Claws.

Wings.

Arms.

Tail.

Soulless eyes.

These images constantly flashed in Natsu's mind, as if some cruel dream weaver wanted to remind him of the terror that almost befell him and his friends. He could do nothing, they could all do nothing. Not even their master whom he looked up to and thought at in the back of his mind as somewhat invincible could do nothing.

The cruel play carried on in his mind while his body writhe in bed. Was he still there, was he still on the island, was he about to die along with his friends?

He awoke. He got his answer as he found himself gasping for every last bit of air. He was also shaking from the adrenaline rush caused from his nightmare.

He quickly grabbed his scarf and hugged it. Whenever fear was able to register in his brain, he would take the only thing that reminded him of Igneel and hug it like a teddy bear. It put his spirits at to ease.

But not today for just as he was beginning to calm down, he heard a sound. Not just any sound, but a sound that resounded in his dreams. It was THAT roar.

"What?! How?! It found us?! " and so on as a hundred other thoughts ran through his mind. Their destroyer apparently did follow them and now it would not only hurt them but all the other innocent people in the town.

"Natsu, did you hear that?" his blue feline companion asked in terror.

"Mhm, I did"

"Do you think it was real?"

They hear it again, but this time it was louder and more pronounced.

"Happy, let's wake up everyone. NOW!"

He burst from his room nut found that his friends had already awakened and were ready for battle.

"Master, did you hear it too?"

"Yes, I did"

"What do we do sister? We couldn't beat it on the island" Her little sister instinct kicked in and she turned to her elder for guidance.

"I don't know Lissana" She too was gripped by indecision and fear. Mostly fear.

"Gramps ,all these people…."

"I know Laxus"

"If something happens to them, it would be all our fault. Maybe it was better if we died on the island and spared these people" Gildarts ruminated.

"Don't say that dad! I don't want anyone to die and I don't want you to die" Canna quickly retorts. She had just got her father back, she didn't want to hear those words.

"Canna"

"Erza, what do you suppose we do" While almost everyone else was panicking, Fried was calculating his options. Laxus may have been the leader, but he was the smart one of the Raijinshu.

"What do you mean?"

"Should we hold it off and let the city evacuate or should we evacuate outright? "

"I don't think we will be able to outrun it, so our only option is to fight it again."

Another blood curdling roar was heard and it was getting louder.

"It's coming closer Charles" The Sky Dragon Slayer fell to the ground in despair. She didn't want to go through that again especially when the memory was still so fresh.

Seeing that his guild was disorganized, some panicking and some discussing, he gave a mighty shout to get their attention.

"EVERYONE!"

They all stopped what they were doing and looked to their master.

"I don't know how it found us, but we can't just sit here and do nothing. There are good and innocent people here and we can't let them pay for our mistake. We have to get them out of here no matter the cost. I don't care if they're sleeping get them to safety. Understood?!"

With a mighty benediction, they charged out of the door, and with magic ready prepared to meet their adversary head on and with honor and glory.

There was just one problem…. There was no enemy.

No impending doom, no approaching armageddon, no destruction imminent, and especially no Acnologia.

If the embarrassment from charging out of an inn in the middle of the night and the awkward stares from the night goers wasn't bad enough, they found the source of the sound.

It was not from a dragon but from the innkeeper struggling to drag a wooden bed frame across the stone floor.

…..

As the/you Yanks say *ahem* AWKWARD.

Now some of you might begin to think me a cheeky prick for leading you like that but don't fret it serves a purpose. Watch.

Insult to injury complete, they slowly retreated back inside the inn.

What? Still don't believe me? Well, you'll see for yourselves in Five, Four Three Two one aaaaannnnnnnddddd…

Silence reigned before someone chuckled. Who it was didn't matter, because a few seconds later the rest of the guild followed. True, what they did was ridiculous but it was the lunacy of their actions and the anti-climactic reveal that got to them.

And you thought I was just being a cheeky prick. HA!

"Well, I guess we did overreact a bit huh?" Lucy broke out.

"You can say that again Lucy " followed Happy.

They all agreed. Even if the reason was "legit", reactions from being wound up this tight only for it to flop in the end is still hilarious. Feeling the mood among them all lighten, they say their goodnights, fall unto their beds, and return to the grip of the lady of dreams. Only this time, as with their sleep, it was calm and soothing.

* * *

When the guild awoke, it was already high noon. The streets were bustling and everything was in high gear. They all began eating their brunch when Makarov called out to them.

"Everyone, with regards to the incident at the island. After some deliberation, I've decided that we are not to tell anyone what happened. The panic would cause chaos, both among the citizens and the Magic council. Another thing, In order to avoid the risk of being detected drawing that beast here I have also decided that we are not to use our magic until further notice. "

"What?! But Gramps we're mages. We can't just not use magic. It's in our blood!" Natsu protested.

"And that blood and more will be on our hands if that monster finds us! I can't take that risk Natsu. You have to understand"

"But , Gramps-"

"I SAID NO MAGIC UNTIL FURHTER NOTICA AND THAT'S FINAL!" Natsu knew that when Makarov started to shout, he meant it and that he should clam up.

"Now are there any more questions? "

"I have one master. What if we need to defend ourselves?" asks Erza.

"That's a good question. Though we can't use magic, I'm certain that we can fend off many things with just our fighting skills alone. Now are there any more questions?"

He heard no reply.

"Good, now finish eating up. We leave in one hour"

After some final preparations, they say their goodbyes to the innkeeper and make their way to the train station on foot.

The beginning journey was uneventful until Natsu hears something nearby..

"Natsu, what is it?" Gray asks.

Natsu just runs off towards a nearby patch of trees and sees a traveler surrounded by nasty looking bandits.

"Hey man, whatcha got in that bag?" one of them asks while brandishing his weapons.

"Guys, he looks rich. I bet he's carrying a lot of gold!" says another

"Hey, you need some meat on your bones. You look like a walking twig" mocks another.

"I could sure use some physical practice. There's a new move I saw and I'm itchin' to give it a go." Says another. The rest of the bandits continue their jeers towards the man.

The man , however, doesn't answer and just stands there. If there's one thing Natsu hates, it's those picking on someone inferior to them.

Without a second thought, he hastily jumped into the fray that was about to happen and immediately knocked a guy out with his magic.

"Wha- Who the heck are you?!" one of them ask.

"Just a guy doing the right thing"

* * *

 **Rather short, but as stated earlier this a filler chapter that will lead to more important events. After all, Fairy Tail has a lot of those and I'm just continuing the tradition.**

 **I bid you adieu for now and the update should come rather early this time.**

 **So my readers, until the next tale.**


	3. Chapter 3 - The Stranger's Impression

**And so continues the tale. Greeting everyone still reading. First, I would like to say that I have kept my promise and have delivered the next chapter relatively early. Secondly, i had planned to finish this in a week, but alas my love for poetry got the better of me again and I spent a rather long period completing this So I do indeed hope that it satisfies your reading needs. Third, I shall try to accomplish the one week standard but I fear for the quality of such work**

 **Lastly, but most importantly, I give my utmost gratitude to those that continue to support and read this story. Were it not for you, i would have long stopped and the potentially amazing story that wishes to come forth from the halls of my mind may have dies in silence, never to see the light of day. It would have been tragic.**

 **So, prepare your eyes, starts you imagination, and enjoy my tale**

 **P.S It would be nice if there were comments for me to read though, so please? :)**

* * *

The feeling of magic dragon fire coursing through his veins and into his palms really lightened up Natsu's mood. It may not have been long since the master told him not to use his spells, but when something becomes second nature not doing it feels wrong to the very core of ones being.

Besides, he was never the "lay low" kind of guy and he was saving someone from being ravaged by bandits. Scary as Makarov is when he is angry (I'm sure we all remember Master Jose), Natsu was certain that when he saw that he disobeyed so as to save a life then the master would understand.

Two fire punches and a fire kick to the groin later, the bandits dispersed while carrying their comrades with them. After all, why die today when you can live to pillage another day?

He takes a deep breath to enjoy the moment before walking up to his would be victim.

"Yo! That was close, good thing I came. Are you alright?"

Silence was the stranger's reply. He simply stared at the mage that saved his life as if still processing what just happened.

Natsu was confused. Didn't he hear him? Didn't he notice that his life was just saved? Didn't he notice that his life was in danger at all? Nastu tried again.

"Hello? Is anyone home? Heeeellloooo?" Natsu asks as he waves his hand in front of the stranger's eyes to see if anyone was home.

"Weird, is he even conscious?" the pink haired mage asks himself.

No sooner had the thought finished processing when the stranger finally "noticed" the mage in front of him. He hesitates for a moment and just as he is about to thank him, he is interrupted by a certain blue flying cat coming towards his location.

"Natsu, hey! Wait for me!"

Not too far behind was the rest of the guild.

"Happy, do you see him?" asks Lucy as she tries to catch up.

"That idiot! What part of 'the dragon might find us' didn't he get?! " Gajeel curses to the wind.

When they were all a good distance from him, Gray decides to pull off a kung-fu by doing a flying double kick to the pink haired mage's face.

As quickly as it happened and as far as he flew, Nastu quickly got back up and shouted back

"OW! What was that for?!"

"Do you want that dragon to find and kill us all or are you just that stupid?!" the ice mage retorts.

"Who are you calling stupid, Ice Princess!"

"Huh? I didn't think you even knew what stupid meant Lizard Boy!"

"You itchin' for a fight?!"

"Bring it on Salamnder!"

As both diametrically opposed elemental mages prepare to have yet another face-off, a certain scarlet haired valkyrie came to "mediate".

"That's enough, both of you. You're only going to make things worse for us and especially for yourselves"

Now hearing her voice even a tad bit angry was enough to give both of them the goosebumps, but the was she said the youselves part terrified them to their core. They may both be idiots (a case can be argued that when compared to Natsu Gray is way smarter), but even and idiot learns from pain.

So, fearing her wrath, they two maku up quicker than Roadrunner on his best day.

"Of course, Erza! I was just kidding! Right, Gray?"

"Yeah, Natsu ol' chum. We were just having fun!"

The terror was obvious in both their voices though it was enough to satisfy Erza.

"Leave it to Erza to talk some sense into those morons" Lucy comments in her mind.

"However, Gray had a point. Why did you use your spells Natsu? I gave you clear orders not to" Makarov said at last.

He was a patient man and was forgiving, but just like anyone else he didn't want to be disobeyed. Especially when other lives were involved.

Natsu tried to put up a serious façade, but when he looked into Makarov's eyes he turned all sheepish.

"Well….. Um….. you se….. I…. I did it to help this guy. He… Um…. He was about to get robbed" he says.

the

"What guy?" Makarov asks to which Natsu points out rescuee to him and the rest of the group.

What he pointed out to was an unimposing wan. His clothing was plain and he carried a travelling pack with two long objects that were covered up rather nicely. His face was all calm and collected, he had (from what they could see) smooth and white skin, short hair, and he wore a pair of glasses.

Imagine those boy characters in anime that look legitimately good in a dress or the "traps" If you still have a hard time imagining what he looks like dear readers, then I point you to Allegro of Elsword (LOVE THAT GAME!). They look pretty similar…. At least face, skin and bag wise. Though with a few modifications of which I may someday show all of you when my anime drawing skills are improved.

Seeing that he wasn't about to talk anytime soon, Lucy for better or for worse, was the first to break the ice.

"Hi there. Are you alright? It's a good thing Natsu came along huh?" she cheerily says.

The stranger then looks up unto the face of the blond inquiring on his well-being and meekly replies

"Um… yes, I'm fine. Thank you very much"

"*sigh* Good. I was beginning to wonder if something did happen to you because of that moron" she implies.

She turns towards Makarov and replies "Hey master, he's alright"

The response that the stranger got was a glare not only from the master, but from Erza as well.

Thinking that he may have offended them somehow, he quickly bowed and apologized.

"Um….. did I do something wrong? If so then I'm very sorry" he replies.

Makarov realizes what they were both doing and just like the stranger just as quickly apologizes.

"No no no no no! You didn't do anything. I'm sorry, but when I'm deeply thinking of something I tend to stare. Come's with the age, right? "

He passes a quick look to Erza and she returns his apology in kind.

"Yes. We're sorry for being rude"

"No, it's fine. When someone is mad at me I usually think I'm the one at fault" he says as a gentle chuckle escapes from his lips.

He then turns towards the fire mage who saved him.

"Anyway, how may I show you my thanks for saving me Mr…..?"

"It's Natsu. Natsu Dragneel" the pinked haired mage replies.

"Ah yes. How may I show my thanks for saving me ?"

Such sincerity and formality made Natsu feel a tad bit uncomfortable. He ended up blushing in embarrassment as a result.

"Please, just call me Natsu"

"Eh he he he…"

"Besides, you don't have to repay me. I'm sure someone as kind as you would have done the same thing "

"I doubt I would…." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Natsu asks.

"Oh… eh he he… um, nothing. Nothing at all" he quickly replies.

"Well, I wish I could stay longer, but should really be going now. I hope we meet again and on more favorable terms"

With that, he flashes a quick smile and just as quickly goes on his way.

"What a strange man" Lucy comments.

"But he was really nice" Levy comments as well.

"Erza, why were you and master glaring at him ?" Gray asked.

"I told you, me and master were just thinking of something" she coolly replies.

Having no other say about their encounter with the stranger, the guild continued on with their uneventful journey.

* * *

A good few hours or so later, they finally reach the railroad station town of Japez. Other than the fact that it was a famous stopover for the many trains that pass by and had a number of stalls nothing really stood out. The guild take a quick brake and board the next outbound train heading for Magnolia.

The guild split into their own groups and occupy the seats. Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Erza, and Happy occupy the seats that, as fate would have it, had one passenger in particular that stood out.

"Oh, hi. What a surprise, I didn't think that we would meet again so quickly"

"Yo! Guy I saved! Good to see ya' !" Natsu replies.

"Your going to Magnolia too?" Lucy asks.

She found him quite queer and now that she had the chance she wanted to find out more about him.

"Yes. I have to past by Magnolia so I that I can get home"

The train then departs and the stranger remained silent while reading a book for a good amount of the trip. Gray and Natsu were playing…. something while Lucy was looking at the scenery and petting Happy.

The scenery was broken when Erza finally decided to talk.

"I'd like to ask, your not from Fiore at all are you?"

The man was taken aback for a quick moment but he just as quickly regained his calm composure. From the looks he got earlier, he knew that this woman and the old man was sharp.

"Um, what makes you say that Ms….?"

"Scarlet. My name is Erza Scarlet"

"Ah, then what makes you say that Ms. Scarlet?"

" For one thing, I've noticed that your clothing pattern is very unique. It may seem deceptively simple, but it's not the kind of simple or made with the same kind of material that I've seen anywhere before in Fiore. There are also those symbols hanging out of your pack are unknown to me and I studied all known, legendary, and forbidden runes that are in Fiore with Fried. There's also the matter of your skin tone which is whiter that the average Fioren skin tone. That would indicate that you didn't grow up in Firoen climate ".

"I could say a good number more, but I think you get the point"

Their conversation had gotten the attention of the others and Natsu, after hearing her deduction, couldn't help but compliment her.

"Amazing! You're really smart Erza"

"Thank you, Natsu"

After returning his kindness she then returns her attention to the stranger.

"So, how much did I get right?"

The stranger is silent for a few moments before he closes his book and flashes a mile to the scarlet warrior.

" I knew you and the grandpa, who I assume is your guild master, was smart but then again I'm not really trying to hide it. Still, an excellent deduction Ms. Scarlet if I do say so myself"

"Eh? So it's true?" Lucy asks.

Since she was young, she had heard of the other lands not inside Fiore from her father and had even seen some of their products. Not until today, however, has she had the chance to meet someone from outside of Fiore. It was as exciting as being a child and seeing a new toy in Christmas and like said child Lucy jumped at him with such an excitement.

"So where are you from, huh? Sin, Bosco, Minstrel? "

"Maybe from Seven or even Iceberg? Caelum?" Gray adds.

He had been taken to these lands before when he was still apprenticed to Eul. She took him with her wherever she went and he had not seen them since after her unfortunate death.

"Umm… let's just say it's not in any of the regions that you probably know of"

Now hearing that was truly surprising. The majority of them having never traveled out of Fiore and from the tales they heard from the few that did, they all held the general idea that the landmasses that they called Earthland was all that there was. The rest was either an endless ocean or harbored god's-know-what.

Now for a statement to challenge all of that and for living proof to be standing right there breathing and talking to them in the face was…. Well , as the saying goes, "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" yet extraordinary evidence is derived by following the ordinary evidence it leaves behind.

In the case of the Fioren mages they had both and with each passing second the surprise sunk in deeper.

"Eh, really? There are lands beyond Earthland?" Natsu casually comments.

"That's fascinating. I wonder what their fish tastes like" Happy casually comments as well.

While the two fail to comprehend the situation and go about their usual carefree ways, the stranger pulled out two maps from his pack so as to dispel any disbelief among those that were listening to him.

"Now if you would kindly look here this is a map of what you people call Earthland along with the regions that you have mentioned and the ones that you didn't. "

Inspection of the map would prove that it was indeed a correct representation of all the known lands in Earthland. That much the group could confirm.

"Now if you look here, this is a map of everything else. I'm sorry if it's blank but the only map I have with me now is a geographical one"

He laid both maps down and the first thing they noticed is how it was comparatively bigger than the Earthland one.

"Now I would like to point out what you people call Earthland right…. Here" the stranger says as he points out the only world that they have ever know on a map that made them realize how small that world actually was.

"The lands outside of Earthland are, from what I heard from an old fisherman, called the Outerlands. I come from this blank space while the rest belong to…. Let's just say… the others "

The Fioren mages paying attention were all taken aback even more than they originally were. The land he pointed out, the land he called home was large and they all though that the kingdom of Pergrande was huge. His land made it look like nothing and it made Fiore in its entirety appear nothing more than a puddle which barely covered the half of the bottom of the land.

It was a double whammy of sorts. On the one hand, it gave the Fioren mages a sense of excitement and wonder from finding your world larger than you thought it was. Oh what discoveries to be made, what new places to see, what new friends to make and what adventures to be had.

On the other hand, the sense of inferiority for they were confronted by the fact that all they have been through, all that they have achieved, and all that they have suffered through happened somewhere so small that you would almost need a magnifying glass to even see it.

They all began to wonder if what they did mattered at all….. correction, everyone except Natsu and Happy that is as their response spoke of as to how much they gave a damn.

"Eh, really?" the fire mage comments.

"Hey Natsu, ask him what his fish are like" asks his feline companion.

Slight confusion and surprise was the strangers reply. When telling people something as astounding as your world being bigger than you thought, one would expect there to be a sense of awe or something along the lines of that.

He was confused as to why these two out of the rest didn't share their friends expression, but he quickly brushed it aside and started to give them a reply.

"The fish? Well, there is this one poisonous fish that looks like it has a mane and - "

He never got to finish that sentence for it was intercepted by multiple explosions riddling the train.

From the smoke of said explosions emerged the cliché situation of bandits doing what bandits do with trains.

"Hello, hello ladies and gents! We're the Red Rock River Valley gang and were here to take all your valuables. If you lot want to keep breathin' do what we say" one of them say.

"Coff up them goods lady!" "Ooooooh, pretty" "This will look good on my wall" "Shiny" and so on and so forth as valuables were forcibly taken and helpless passengers are terrorized. Luckily for them, not all of their compatriots are as helpless or as terrorized. Especially a certain pink haired mage.

"Hey, action! Finally, this trip was getting boring!"

He got up from his seat and readied himself for the brawl that was about to ensue yet it was not to be for a certain Scarlet warrior pulled him back down with a force.

"Ouch! Erza, what was that for?!"

She gave no reply and only looked on to the master as to what to do. He just sat there like nothing was happening. At first she thought he was sleeping, but closer inspection revealed that he was awake and was just ….waiting.

As she pondered as to what the masters plan was, Natsu's squirming grew more intense by the second.

So to put an end to it she gave him "the look".

Few things register fear and terror in the mind of someone like Natsu. For him, the bigger and scarier it is the harder he just has to fight to bring it down. A best described by Einstein, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result" but in the case of Natsu it's banging your head on a wall over and over until it breaks. Since this is anime land then by the magic powers of plot and the MC, that wall will always break.

But not when that wall was Erza. Sure he always challenged her when he felt that his strength increased, but when she was in the "WHO TOUCHED MY STRAWBERRY CAKE" mood , all who see it must pray to their gods that their souls be spared.

Any indication of this mood, be it in aura of for Natsu, especially for Natsu and maybe a little of Gray, "the look" will be the only warning that one gets before something comparable to the wrath of heaven falls upon him.

Maybe it was her overwhelming strength she held over him or maybe it was just a woman thing but whatever it was it terrified him all the same. He froze and behaved, his unquenchable and unbreakable bravery broken and tamed all from the terror that was Erza Scarlet's "look" reserved especially for him….. and Gray .

So there the guild stay, waiting in silence as the bandits take whatever they wish from all those they pass bay until they came across Makarov.

"Hey old man! Coff up the goods if you want to keep your head!" one of the rascals scream.

Makarov doesn't reply which consequently angers the bandit. He picks him up by the collar and begins to shake Makarov.

"Hey did you hear what I said?! Hand'em over!" he nearly shouts .

"I think this geezer is SENILE!" says one of his comapnions in a mocking tone.

Makarov then opens his eyes and pretends to be a pathetic, old man.

"I'm sorry….. my hearing is not what it used to be. What were you asking me sonny?"

The bandit, beginning to lose his patience, sarts shaking him.

"Don't tick me off old man! I said where's the loot?!" he screams now clearly angry.

"Please don't hurt me! I'm old and weak….. and old" he weakly replies.

"Careful, you might break his paper mache bones " mocks another one of his companions.

Having lost almost all his patience, he tightly grabs Makarov by the neck.

"Last chance old man! Give me your loot or I'll choke ya!" he threatens.

"Ack… please….. stop…. It's…. all…over…. there"

Makarov weakly point over to the bag near the window. Tha bandit tosses him aside and heads for the bag. Thinking that he was easy prey, he gleefully opens the bag to see what treasures he could add to his personal booty. His joy was cut short, however, for what he saw inside was nothing more than soap.

"What the? This is all soap! Hey what gi- "

The bandit got his answer in the form of a giant extend fits to the face courtesy of Makarov's giant magic or whatever it's called. Before he knew it, he was out and blasting off again out of the train.

His companions tried to run, but just like their long gone friend they too were quickly dealt with.

"Master, what about the dragon?" Erza says with a small smile in her face. For a moment, she thought that the master would just let these hooligans have their way but her faith in him was again justified.

He returns the smile in kind and gives his reply.

"The dragon be damned! These people need our help now!"

With that, he gave his guild a look. A look that they all knew meant, as the yank expression goes, "IT'S GO TIME!"

Before they all went to do what they do best, Natsu quickly asked the stranger a favor.

"We'll be right back. Mind keeping this place warm for me?

"Okay. No problem" was the strangers reply.

With that settled, the mages marched on from cart to cart. Meeting each bandit group head on and with shouted benedictions. It was truly a spectacle to behold. An array of fists, magic, swords, and people clashed on a moving metal vehicle traveling at top speeds. Neither had given any ground….. or cart…. Without a fight but all were careful not to do too much damage for it would've meant a steel tomb for them all.

As persistent as the bandits were, however, they could not match the might of Fairy Tails elite and soon fell one by one. Some of the guild stayed behind to make sure that they stayed down until at last Erza, Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Gajeel, Wendy, and the three Exceeds reached the first cart.

What met them there was another expected train cliché .

"Alright, stand down ya' hear? Take another step and these people bite the dust. Right boys? " said the man in the middle.

"Yeah!"

From the looks of things, the man in the middle appeared to be the head hancho. Not only was he dressed to kill, he also bore a scare on his face that was quite prominent. He was rather tall and to top it off he was bald. Another feature to notice was the cigar that was large even by anime standards.

No matter how you looked at it, he was lean and definitely mean.

But his looks aside, the bandit did have a point. They were too far to make any move and any gamble with people as the prize was just too risky.

And so the standoff lasted as the train dutifully sped towards its destination.

"I just have to hold on to this lot and we can make our great escape. I'll have to remember to free the rest of the lot after I get Scott free" the bandit leader thought to himself. He's been raiding trains for years and he always knew that a situation of this sort might happen thus the fighting which bought him just the exact amount of time he needed to gather the most vulnerable passengers and take them hostage.

He would have gotten away with it too, if it wasn't for a certain stranger emerging from the door behind him.

"Eh?... What the? " the stranger says. Unbeknownst to him, his words echoed in the minds of all those who were present. But more so for the Fairy Tail mages who wondered how on the hell he got here when his last knows location was waaaaaaaaaaaayyy back there.

Erza was the first to break the silence of beffudlement and directed her thoughts towards the stranger.

"How did you get here?"

"You tell me , . I just got up to use the restroom" he replies.

The next to follow suit and break the silence of beffudlement was one of the bandit leader's lackeys.

"How the hell did we miss one? Ah whatever! Hey you! Down before the boss right now or I'll blow your brains out! "

The lackey pulls out a magical gun and aims it at the stranger. Seeing the situation and not wanting to complicate things for the Fioren mages, the stranger decided to play the role of the calm diplomat.

"I'll gladly do it, but may you please not point that thing at me?" he pleads.

This irritates the goon and with gun still pointed he walks closer to the stranger.

"Eh?! You tellin' me what to do?! You got some nerve punk!"

"Holding a magical weapon this close is dangerous. Sir please, I'm sure we could work out an agreement if you would be so kindly as to not point it at me any longer? Please?" the stranger pleads a second time.

His attempt at diplomacy angers the goon even more and he steps closer with the gun now basically at point blank range on the strangers face.

"You testin' yor luck or what?! 'Cause my trigger finger is starting to itch!"

The stranger then took a deep breath and gave a smile to the bandit that sent a quick chill down Erza's spine.

"Sir, this is your last chance and I will even say it slowly. Please. Stop. Threatening. Me. Okay?"

The bandit , taking his slow talk as an insult to his intelligence, lost all his patience and, after Erza noticed that the smile had not dissipated from the strangers face, quickly pulled the trigger.

They were all in shock. This would be the first time in known Fairy Tail history that they let someone die on their watch. The shame, agony, and most importantly the guilt would have tormented them for months on end and that face of their victim would have haunted them 'till the end of their days.

Dark times would have indeed been ahead…. had the stranger not dodged the shot like it was nothing or more of like it was part of his plan.

Whatever it may have been, the goon jumps back and starts to reign a barrage of magical fire on the stranger. But his efforts were to no avail for it all missed the stranger whom, to the eyes of Fairy Tail looked like he couldn't even take a punch, had the grace of a ballerina and speed that seemed otherworldly when it came to evasion.

The goon became more frantic in his shots but was soon confronted by the stranger who closed the distance and , after flashing his attacker with a quick smile, breaks his arms and slammed his head on a nearby seat all in one swift and elegant motion.

The boss, not sure of what had just happened to one of his goons, screamed out of instinct for his other goons to attack.

"Don't just stand there you morons! GET HIM!"

They all release their captives and attack the stranger some with guns and some with good ol' melee.

They all fought well and bravely, but the stranger dealt with all of them the same way he did with the first goon with grace, elegance, otherworldly dodging, and limb breaking that would fit the sadist category perfectly.

One by one the goons fell in agony and quick succession until the leader himself was the sole bandit standing.

To say he was shocked would be an understatement. Befuddled maybe? But in any case he just stood there. Paralyzed. The world seemed to fade out until he and the stranger were the only ones left. There was no sound and it was so quiet that he could hear his heartbeat.

A sweat dripped from his forehead. It seemed colder than usual. A few more drops and he was broken from that world and back to the real one. When the realization that he was all alone, flanked by mages on his back and a stranger on his front that de didn't account for, finally sunk in he snapped.

He screamed a defiant scream and charged straight for the stranger in front of him.

If he was going down he was taking one of these people with him and a stranger without magic was easier prey than 6 magical users.

With a gun on one hand and a knife that he pulled out with the other, he attacked. His movements frantic yet targeted, desperate yet dangerous.

As with the earlier encounters, the stranger dodged but this time it was quicker and more frequent. One could see him exerting effort and observing carefully the movements of his opponents to a greater extent. He let his opponent continue on with his onslaught until he made an opening. The bandit went for it, but the stranger quickly recovered and countered by going after his arm.

The bandit, however, was able to recover in the knick of time. He jumped back and fired three shots at the stranger. He was able to dodge them and close the distance but the bandit was ready for him. Just as he got close, the bandit did a quick slash and almost stabbed the stranger in the face.

It missed and instead ended up cutting a small portion of the stranger's front hair. The stranger only smiled and then went for the hand that held the gun. The bandit fired but the stranger evaded the shot , grabbed the gun, and quickly twisted it while it was still in his hand. It resulted in the bandits trigger finger hyper flexing and the bandit screaming in pain.

Angry, the bandit then continued to slash with his reaming arm and picked up the gun and used his middle finger to fire.

The stranger then went for the knife hand and with the bandits own force made drop it. He then struck the elbow of the bandit which caused great pain.

The bandit fired more shots, forcing the stranger to back off which gave the bandit enough time to pick up the knife. He went for the stranger again, but just as he was about to slash, he threw it in the air, caught it with his mouth and slashed the stranger.

The stranger, however, had quicker reflexes. He ducked and backed off again.

The bandit, starting to tire and sensing that his opponent observed of him the same, unleashed his last flurry of attacks. The stranger dodged them all and just as the bandit was able to get the gun at point blank range on the strangers face the stranger ended the fight in the most painful way yet.

He simply dodged to the right and using the bandit's force from when the bandit pointed the gun at his face hyper flexed his arm by way of the elbow. In pain, the bandit used the knife, but the stranger hyper flexed that arm as well.

The stranger then made the bandit lose his balance and just as the bandit tried to stabilize, the stranger dealt to his leg the same fate he dealt to the arms.

And so, as quickly as the fight was, it ended just as quickly though with the leader in more pain than anyone else as his screams echoed across the cabin.

There was silence. From both the hostages and the Fioren mages. The way he fought was not like anything they had seen yet and they wondered if what they had just watched was indeed real.

"What did we just watch?" asks Gray in complete befuddlement.

"It all happened so fast" comments a just as befuddled Wendy.

"In all my years of fighting , I've never seen anything like that" says Pantherlilly.

The stranger, upon hearing their comments, looks upon the carnage on his feet and sheepishly comments.

"Oops, eheheh, looks like I went a bit too far"

"What was your first clue, the wailing from the pain or the multiple limbs that you broke?" Erza replied. Deep down she too was amazed, but after seeing what he was capable of she decided to hide it behind her though façade.

"I had to make sure that the passengers were not to be harmed during my self defense. Do you think I was excessive?"

"No. I think they deserve it"

"How?" asked Natsu.

The stranger then directs his attention towards the pink haired mage.

"How did you fight him without magic?"

Hearing this, Gajeel decided to ask his inquiry too.

"Yeah! Almost all ordinary people either run or get badly hurt when they face up against magic. Why are you okay?"

"Umm…. let's just say….. you are always your own worst enemy" the stranger replies.

"What do you mean" Happy asks.

Just as the stranger was about to reply, Erza replied instead.

"If any of you were paying attention, you would realize that he never actually fought"

"What are you saying Erza?" asked Lucy.

"In a fight, you have two opponents matching their skill sets against each other and trading blows until one comes out the victor. This applies to both battles of the body as well as the mind. What this guy did was to not attack and instead be attacked. Now generally, this would mean that you would lose. However, what he did was to let them attack and by their own hand they were defeated. It didn't matter what these bandits did or how hard they fought, he would have simply turned it into another advantage"

"This wasn't a fight, let alone a fair one. It was a slaughter" the scarlet haired mage concluded.

What she said scared the group a little bit. The stranger, unimposing at first glance and even after a long one, whom they thought was the very profile of a defenseless victim easily disposed of bandits that admittedly even they had a hard time beating.

He didn't even use magic!

He just looked so… ordinary.

While they all thought about the implications, there was one among them who didn't share their sentiments.

"You can fight without magic?! Cool! Hey, fight me now! Come on! I'm all fired up to fight you now! Come on, I can take it!" was Natsu's reply.

As the Dragonslayer prepares to engage, Erza does a preemptive strike and knocks him down with a punch to the face.

"Any more damage could destabilize the train so no more fighting"

"But that still doesn't explain how you got here all the way from our cart " Lucy adds.

True. How did he get there? It was a mystery as pressing as to who this stranger was or where he learned how to fight.

"That's the part I don't get either. I got up to use the restroom, assumed it was the door behind me, and when I opened it I ended up here"

"Which reminds me, I have to check if some stole something from my pack and find a restroom! Excuse me please!"

With that, he gave a quick bow and made his way to his original cart. The moment they lose sight of him, Gajeel inquires of Erza.

"You believe his story?"

"I have my doubts, but it's all we have to go on" she replies.

"You think he's hiding something?"

"That's the theory. Usually, I'm excellent at reading people but this guy is a complete mystery"

"How much of a mystery?"

"Up until now, I thought he would bleed to death from a single cut. You can only imagine my shock when I saw how wrong I was "

* * *

The train begins to slow down until finally it stop at the Magnolia Station where the local constables were waiting. The Fairy Tail mages hand over the bandits to the chief inspector as they, along with the other passengers, leave the train.

"Good work for you and your lot , Makarov. We've been trying to catch these buggers for months" the chief says.

"It was no problem at all, chief" the guild master replies.

"Well maybe not for you, but it sure is to ol' Scarface McClain over there. Their Train Teleportation magic has made it almost impossible to catch this many all at once"

He points out to the bandit leader being carried out of the train with expressions of "how the hell did that happen?" and "Good lord, that looks painful" plastered on both the constables carrying him out and the bystanders nearby.

"Honestly, Makarov I'm amazed that you even caught them but there's something as going overboard "

"But it wasn't me"

"Well, whoever it was, I'm not so sure if McClain will ever be able to walk again if his legs are going the wrong way"

With that, the chief gives his goodbyes and returns to his investigation.

As the guild stretch their muscles and talk about their experience on the train, Lucy spots the stranger as he attempts to quietly leave the train.

"Hoy, over here! Mister! Hey, yeah the one that saves us!" Lucy shouts.

The stranger, upon hearing her words, sees Lucy and makes his way towards her.

"Phew. I almost missed you. So, how is your pack?"

"Luckily nobody was able to steal anything thanks to all of you" the stranger meekly replies.

"Cool. Anyway thanks for helping us out back there. I don't know how many more people would've gotten hurt"

"Technically, I just defended myself. You people are the real heroes, not me" he replied.

"Even if it was in self-defense, it was your actions today that made you the hero" Makarov says.

The stranger, not wanting to seem rude from the praise that he was given, politely responds to the Guild Master.

"Well, if you say so"

Makarov took this chance to ask more about the stranger, but was interrupted by the flow of people trying to get to another train. The bandit's being led out of a damaged train was a nice distraction, but these people didn't have time to stare all day. Places to be, people to meet, and appointments to keep. Busy, busy busy.

As the distance between the stranger began to widen, the stranger gave his farewells as best as he could.

"Well, it's look like this is where we part ways. It truly was a pleasure crossing paths with you up close. I hope to see you again!" he screams so as to be heard in the drowning noises of people and machine.

"Yeah…Hey, WAIT!" Lucy shouts to the top of her lungs.

The stranger, almost a speck in the crowd of people, turned his heard to the blonde.

"I just realized, none of us asked! What's your name?!"

The stranger appears to scream something, but is too far for her to hear.

"What ?!"

The stranger screams something again, but he disappears in the crowd of people.

"Drat! Oh well maybe next time"

"On the other hand. Hey Natsu, did you notice that you were on the train the whole time and you didn't fall unconscious? " Lucy praised her motion sickness prone friend.

Not only was he able to stand at all, but he was able to fight along side them for the rest of the journey. She turned to congratulate him, but what greeted her was a fallen pile of meat drowning in his own drool…. At least I assume it's drool. God for his sake I HOPE it's drool.

"Eeh?! What the?! "

"Why are you surprised Lucy? Haven't we established that Natsu and transport don't go well?" says the blue cat.

"Yeah but why now?" she asks.

"He get's unconscious, but it's not always immediate"

Not liking the sight, she looks towards her friends who were already a good distance from her.

"Lucy, carry Natsu back to the guild will you?" Erza requests as she and the others walk out of the train station.

"Eeeh?!"seeing that she was all alone, she turned her frustration towards the pink haired mage.

"Hoy, get up! You can't just cash-in your motion sickness when the train ride is done! That's not how it works! Hey get up!" she screams at the flesh glob as Happy worriedly looks on.

* * *

Night had befallen Magnolia and the elite guild members arrived at their precious hall. A few quick beers and cleaning up and all but Makarov made their way home. He had been gone for quite some time so there was paperwork that was in need of accomplishing.

As he filed the papers in the midst of darkness with only a candle to give him light, he heard a creak as his door opened.

"Master, it's me. I want to ask you something"

Makarov looked up from his desk and saw that it was none other than Erza.

"You're still here?" he asked.

"Yes, I stayed because something was troubling me "

"it's about the stranger we met, isn't it?"

"Yes"

Makarov lays down his quill and diverts his attention towards the Scarlet mage.

"Master, what are your thoughts on him?"

"Why are you only asking now?"

Erza makes sure that no one else is around and then answer her master's question.

"Because everyone else seems to like him and after what we've been through recently I didn't want to cause anymore commotion."

"I see….."

"Master, when Natsu used his magic on the bandits I thought he was just looking for an excuse to be reckless. But when he said that it was to save someone and he pointed out the stranger I-"

"Couldn't detect his presence at all" Makarov finishes. Great minds think alike, and so he knew exactly where she was going.

"Master, I've trained myself extensively to detect the presence of others. That was I'm never surprised. But today was the first in a very, very, very long time that I couldn't do it for him. It's like-"

"He wasn't even there"

"Yes master. I find that troubling"

"Do you think he was hiding it intentionally?"

"I'm not sure. On the train when I made my deductions he told me that he wasn't even trying to hide it. I'm not sure if he was trying to hide anything at all. He could be telling the truth or- "

"He's just that good"

"If he is, the how did Natsu find him?"

"Luck perhaps? The right place at the right time? The dragon like hearing he learned from Igneel? It could be many things"

"True" she concluded.

"So, back to my original question Master. What do you think of him?"

Makarov is silent for a few moments before he gives an answer whose ears would be grace dby only them alone and whose words would be kept behind the walls that surround them.

"I think if all his people are as he is, then kind or not we should be more cautious in the strangers we let close to us"

* * *

Night covered the roads of Magnolia and the stranger used it to quietly board the last outgoing ship. He saw other foreigners as well and blended with them well as the ship slowly disembarked from the port.

The majority of the trip was uneventful ad the stranger merely enjoyed the serenity that a calm night at sea provided… that is until a lacrima crystal in his pocket began to flash continuously.

He gave a sigh for he knew exactly who was on the other side.

He pulled it out of his pocket, configured the runes, and spoke to the crystal.

"Yes? Who is it?"

He was greeted with a voice that was obviously annoyed but with a slight tang of angry.

"You know who the bloody hell it is! "

"Shh, not so loud. Calm down will you. Some people are sleeping"

"Calm down?! How could I calm down!? The fight here was over way to quick! There's nothing to do! Also, the skirmishes with the "resistance fighters" here are pathetic! I even had to intentionally let them go at times just so they could keep on entertaining me and even that's begin to not work! They're just too weak! Did I also mention that I can't destroy anything?!"

The man just gives a chuckle as the voice on the other side continues to complain.

"Freakin' tell me why I'm here again? Seriously, I'm going mad and if I recall, this is supposed to be your job!"

"Well, I may have finished it but it was you that agreed on the straw draw and you got the shortest one"

"Yeah, but-"

"No buts except your over there"

"Tch! Fine, whatever… I'll just come back later"

"Of course. You wouldn't be you if you didn't"

The voice calmed down a bit before asking again.

"So, you back yet or what?"

"Actually, I decided to take a galleon out of the region. After that, I still have two more trips to go"

"Why not just get there quicker? After all, it should be easy for you too"

"First, not really and Two, it's not always about the destination but the journey in between that matters the most"

"Don't come at with that eastern philosophy nonsense. Juts get it over with"

"It's not nonsense when you read in between the lines and meditate on it every day like you're supposed to. Besides, there's no matter of extreme urgency yet so I see no harm in aking my time. I'm sure he would understand"

"Pfft, whatever"

"Look, thanks to the magic it will be like no time has passed at all so you don't have too much to worry about"

"Easy for you to say, you're not trapped here and BORED"

"Well, with that said, I will see you in due time. Don't destroy too much now…"

"Stop yappin' at me I got it. Bah, over and out…..What did you say? The islands are starting to float? Have you been drinking to mu- what the hell, they really are starting to float!"

The lacrima crystal deactivates and the stranger returns it to his pocket. He took a deep breath and returned to the song of the calm sea and the serenity of the clear, starry night sky.

* * *

 **So it ends, but my work continues. As always, you are free to praise criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit. Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale fans of Fairy Tail**


	4. Chapter 4 - Quest at Lantrum

**Greeting and Salutations dear readers. I do apologize as to why this has taken so long. The main reason being that just as I finished the previous chapter, the manuscripts were lost! As in they were taken along with the notebook I kept them in so I had to recall and improvise this entire chapter. Fate seemed to not want me to write at the time and I had other matters regarding Live 2D. I promise to try my best to update this tale at least every weekly for I am determined to finish this! now if only fate and the powers that be would only cooperate *sigh***

 **Anyway, I bring you the next chapter in Fairy Tail The Imperium Encounter. Relax, ready your minds, and I hope you enjoy my tale.  
**

* * *

The day after the incident at Tenroujima had arrived like any other and the rest of the guild was persistent in knowing who the new S-classed wizard was.

Makarov, being the wise old sod that he is, told them nothing about their encounter with Acnologia or their strange rescue and thus merely gave the same reply when asked the question

"The test was cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances"

When they saw that the master would not yield, they turned to their fellow guild members but were stonewalled by all of them as well.

When even their fellow guild members would not crack, the inquiries began to die down and a few weeks later everything was back to normal.

Gajeel was all at his lonesome gnawing on the metal beer jugs, Elfman was on a table doing "manly" push-ups with chairs on his back , the Raijinshu were doing… whatever the Raijinshu does (though their guarding of a curtain in the corner of the guild and the occasional flash that showed human form shadows from behind said curtains would raise suspicions), Levy was in her respective corner of the guild too indulged with her many books to pay any heed to any external stimuli, Gray was teaching Juvia how to eat yet another local delicacy without spilling it all over the place, the two male Exceeds were off playing with a cat toy while the third was reading a book to her Sky Dragonslayer companion, Natsu was busy eating, Lisana was helping her sister with the bar duties, Gildarts and Canna were having a drinking contest of sorts with the latter about to past out (turns out Gildarts is better than freakin' Canna at holding down his ale), and Lucy was worrying about the annual rent.

All indeed was as it always was…. well, almost.

It was 3:00 in the afternoon and Lucy for the umpteenth time in a row to check for a job. Every time she would glimpse Mirajane passing by the job board, she would walk up from wherever she was, scour the board for any high paying jobs, then return to her corner of the guild, and mope when she found none.

When she tried this time however, she found something peculiar. All the jobs had been the same, but with a particular one having changed in price and not just a minor change, but a largely significant one.

"Hey, Mira. Is this job for real?" the desperate blonde asks.

"Why yes, it is. In fact it just came in about three hours ago. I was so busy at the bar that I almost forgot about it." replied the bar maid

The blonde looked at the numbers again just to be sure.

"By the spirits that's a lot of zero's" she thought.

She did a quick mental calculation (thanks to her worrying about her rent all the time, she trained herself to determine cost with great accuracy) and scribbled it on paper just to be sure.

When all was prices were subtracted and quadruple checked, she couldn't believe her eyes. If she took this quest and was able to accomplish it, not only will she be able to make the rent, but the excess fund from a four way split would pay 9 months' worth of rent and there was excess still!

Her heart pumped with excitement as her thoughts floated images of her relaxing in her room, focusing on her novel, taking long baths, eating to her hearts content, and other leisure activities that she had been dying to do.

Not wanting to waste any more time or for anyone else to possibly claim this golden chance, she quickly look for the minimum amount of capable allies.

Desperate and excited as she was for all that money, she knew that it would be mad for her to go on a quest alone at this stage. She had tried that before and… well, let's just say, she had to use the funds she got to pay someone to bring her home and put her in bed and that growing back long hair takes a veeeeeeeery long time. Also, never trust a snowman to make soup unless it's the hottest day of summer.

She went for her first obvious choice.

"Sorry Lucy-chan, but I'm at the 245th act and I want to see whether Alejandro will Kill , while in front of his daughter , who is also Alejandro's lover, for killing his father during the civil war "

If Lucy knew one thing about her bookworm of a friend, it's that once she into a book then only death itself could break her from it.

Not going to waste her effort, she goes to her next obvious choice.

"Um, I'm sorry Lucy but Charles is reading to me the history of Edolas and it's very interesting. Did you know that there were 99 leaders of the human kingdom alone?"

"Indeed. Though we were only there for a while, it turns out my home realm has a deep and interesting history that rivals that of Earthland. I suggest you not deprive her of this chance of learning for your monetary needs" replies the female Exceed.

Not wanting to self-degrade herself in a debate with the Exceed, she just kept quiet and went for her "other" choices.

"Not today Lucy, I'm not in the mood" was Gajeels reply as he gnawed on the metal jugs.

"We're kind of busy at the moment. Maybe some other time" says Fried as he hands Bickslow who is behind the curtain a "recently used" bone saw and a needled with thread.

"347!... 348!... 349!..." was all Lucy heard from Elfman as he did his "manly" pushups.

Canna was too busy trying not to pass out and lose to her dad at drinking to pay her any attention.

So, by logical deduction and the fact that all the other extras didn't really matter, that left her two usual choices.

"Hey, Natsu. Would you and Gray mind helping me with this job? "

"*burp* Sure Lucy. How much is the reward thus time?" he casually asks.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asks with her now accusing tone.

"Well, usually when you personally ask someone for help you see a lot of money and- "

WHAM!

"That's for making me sound like a greedy harpy"

"Well, I was just stating the tru-"

WHAM!

"Anything else?"

"No"

"Good, now here's the job"

She hands him the flyer and , even as the block head he is, he too noticed the huge reward printed on it.

"Are you kidding me?! That's a lot of zeroes! Hey Ice Queen, take a look at this" he screams to his shirtless counterpart.

"Shut up, Lizard boy! Anyway, what did you want to show me anyway?"

Natsu holds out the flyer and as gray picks it up, he too was amazed at all those zeroes.

"*whistle* Wow, you're right. That is a lot of zeroes…"

"So guys, the reward aside, will you help me with this one? I really need it for my rent" she asks.

"Sure, why not?" Natsu happily agrees.

"Anytime for you, Lucy." Gray agrees as well.

"Thanks you guys so much! I can finally have savings now!"

Having made his blonde friend happy, Natsu turns his attention to the smart one of their group.

"Well, since you seem to need it that much we should discuss our split. Right Erza?"

Where he expected to find a redhead eating her strawberry cake, his eyes were instead greeted by an empty table. In fact, the only empty table in the guild. People knew that if you mess with Erza's strawberry cake time….. Let's just say there was NO tomorrow for you. Ever again.

So since it was established that Erza always had strawberry cake time, not seeing her have strawberry cake time was just not right.

It took a few seconds and even a flashing outline of the missing mage, but Natsu finally realized that their Erza was not there. THEIR ERZA WAS NOT HAVING STRAWBERRY CAKE TIME.

"Oi! Where's the strawberry cake…. oh and Erza!?"

"You only noticed that now?" Gray replies.

"Shutup, Ice Princess! You didn't notice her too!" Natsu yells back.

"Newsflash, I did along with everyone else in the guild. I was just too busy with Juvia to tell you " Gray retorted.

As if to help drive his point home, the entire guild said in unison

"He's right you know"

Seeing that he was all alone on this, he replied in the most defiant manner he could.

"SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!"

"Just admit your stupid already Lizard Boy!"

"Eh? Did you say something? Why don't you speak to my fist cause they can't hear ya!"

The two readied themselves for what looks like was going to be another brawl and if would have pushed through, were it not for the voice of reason (Lucy) reminding them what they were supposed to be focusing on in the first place: helping a friend get a lot of money.

"Um, guys. The job?"

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! " was all they said as they readied for battle.

*In her mind* "Oh boy, here we go again. Think, Lucy. Think! All that moola is on the Line! So, what works on idiots?... Ho!"

She clears her throat and starts to narrate outload.

"Oh dear, Gray and Natsu are fighting again. I can't seem to stop them. Hmmmm, I know I'll go to Erza! She's so strong, I bet she could convince them to stop."

Hearing the dreaded E word was more than enough to extinguish the heat of the coming brawl and make the two mages desperate to do anything to not invoke her wrath.

"Ehehe. What? We were just fooling around! Right Gray ol'pal?" A terrified Natsu says.

"Of course Natsu ol'chum. It's just something we boys do! No harm ! " an equally terrified gray replies.

"Ahahahahahahah!" the both laugh out loud.

…..

…

…

"Hey wait! Erza's not here!" Natsu realizes.

"Yeah! Why were we scared again? " Gray asks.

"Ummmm… what were we even doing?" Natsu asks back.

"Fighting of course!" Gray replies.

"But about what?"

"… you know, I forgot."

"Me too."

There is a silence between the two as they try to remember what it was they were about to brawl about in the first place. While they thought, Lucy interrupts them.

"So, guys. Will you help me with this job?"

"Okay, sure." Natsu replies.

"Anytime, Lucy." Gray replies as well.

"Great" she says.

The trio make their way towards the ever beautiful Mirajane and set forth their request to take the job.

"Yo Mira, were here to take this job! We just need gramps to approve" Natsu casually asks.

"Oh I'm sorry Natsu. Master isn't here at the moment so I'll have to do for you" she replies in all her dainty like nature.

"Oh, no Mira. You'll always do for me" he replies back.

"Thanks, Natsu" she replies.

The Dragonsalyer mage then hands her the flyer and she does the necessary approval procedures.

"So, will it only be the three of you this time?" she asks while doing said procedures.

"What do you mean? It's the usual. Me, Gray, Lucy, and Erza "

He point to where the Scarlet mage should be, only to be met with a blinking outline of where she would have been standing.

"….. OI! Where's Erza? Wasn't she here a moment ago?"

"Actually, she hasn't been here since the guild opened this morning"

"Really? Why didn't anyone else notice then?"

"Actually everyone else did. She isn't having strawberry cake time after all. Also, didn't you notice that the entire guild is more rowdy than usual?"

She point out the guild and the Dragonslayer saw that it was indeed true.

"Well, that explains why everyone seems a lot happier at this time of day" he comments.

"Mhm. There's no Erza to anger" she replies with a slight chuckle at the end.

"Yeah , eheheheh, no Erza to anger" he replies with a tinge of fear in his voice.

"Well, with that settled, let's get this going" Lucy says.

She reaches out for the job request just as Mirajane finishes the necessary procedures, only to be stopped by Natsu's train of thought.

"Wait for a moment. There's just one more thing that's bothering me "

"What is it?" Gray asks.

"Why did Erza just leave without telling us anything us? She never does that" Natsu said with seriousness in his voice.

Gray notices the serious tone of his friend and ponders on his words. A moment later, he realizes that he was right.

"Now that you mention it, she has never done this before."

"What are you talking about?" Lucy asks.

She hasn't been friends with Erza for as long as Natsu and Gray has so every time she would hear a new fact about her, it was always of interest.

"You see Lucy, every time Erza would go on a quest or even out of the guild Natsu is always the first to notice and ask her where she was going. She would then tell him where and before she left always tell Natsu to be good and not destroy the guild" Gray answers.

Lucy then imagines through thought bubble the various scenarios to which Gray's reply applies:

Scenario 1:

"Erza, where are you going ?" he asks

"I'm going out to find a goat man and kill a many headed Hydra. Apparently some newbie kept cutting off the head and then tried to crush it with a big boulder only to miss the hydra and be crushed himself. Be good until I get back" she replies.

Scenario 2:

"Erza, where are you going?" he asks

"I'm off to kill a pride of lions. They're terrorizing villages throughout the countryside. Apparently the Lion leading them has a scar on his face and a black mane. Be good until I get back"

Scenario 3:

"Erza, where are you going?" he asks.

" I'm heading off to a town that's been taken over by a "Shadow Man" and this magic called Voodo or at least that's what the dark skinned blind lady and her talking frogs living in the swamp told me. Be good until I get back"

Scenario 4:

"Erza, where are you going?"

"I'm just going to the market to buy ingredients for cooking more cake. The dorm ran out of them. Be good until I get back"

Her thought bubble then collapses and she returns back to reality. Surprised about another fact that she never noticed about her friends, confused as to why Natsu would keep track of Erza like that, and curious to the reason behind as to why Natsu would be so keen to know where Erza was going she starts thinking.

*in her mind * "Okay Lucy, that's another fact that you can list down about Erza and even that idiot Natsu. But more importantly, why does what Gray described sound so familiar? I know I've seen it somewhere before. Let's see… guy is the first to notice anything about girl, guy is first to ask where girl is going, girl tells guy, guy is happy after knowing where, girl returns, rinse and repeat until girl mysteriously disappears and guy is left very worried. Think, Lucy!Think!Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!... I got it! But wait, those type of books and movies are…No it can't be…. Then again, it's happening right in front of me right now…. But their friends, so there's no way….. But then again friends can always become….. That would explain why they're so close … No! Still not possible, they're childhood friends… but it does happen a lot to childhood friends…..Could Gray know? Could he even be part? Or worse, left out of the loop?!... Nah, I'm just overthinking things!... Or maybe I'm spot on!... Dear spirits could it be that...?!

I don't know what's going through her head right now, but the look on her face says she wants to ask something with rather embarrassing implications.

"Ummm…. Gray…Can I ask : Why is Natsu so concerned about where Erza goes?"

Gray quickly ponders as to why Lucy looks so weird while asking such a simple question and gives his reply.

"That's simple really, it's because..."

She holds her breath. Thoughts spiraling in her head. What Gray says next could entirely alter how she sees Natsu and Erza for the rest of her remaining days. She gulps, awaiting for what felt like an eternity for what gray was about to say next.

Gray opens his mouth and finally speaks.

"So that he could ambush her and have a chance of finally beating her "

"…..Eh?" was all she could muster to say. Her brain short-circuiting as she received an answer that she never saw coming

"You heard me right Lucy. To expound on it more every time Erza goes out, Natsu would ask and she would say. He would then wait for her to be out of sight before sneaking out of the guild to ambush her along the way and potentially defeat her. Though it never really works and he's humiliated everytime, it doesn't stop that idiot from trying. If you ask me, I think he's getting desperate. "

As if to confirm the Ice mage's answer, Natsu suddenly yells out

"Dammit! How am I supposed to ambush her if I don't even know where she is and I even felt good about this day too! Dammit, Erza!"

…

A moment of awkward silence and passes before Lucy gives herself the biggest facepalm Gray has ever seen.

"IDIOT! IDIOT! IDIOT! IDIOT! What was I thinking?! Of course it couldn't possibly happen like that! Natsu's just too dumb for it! Lucy, why would you think something like that?! Especially if it involves Natsu?! FREAKIN' NATSU! "

Seeing Lucy beat herself up for almost no apparent reason made Gray concerned about her state of mind. Could it have been something he said? All he did was answer a question after all and he couldn't find anything wrong about the question itself. Was this somewhat his fault?

So as to calm her down and for him to leave whatever the outcome with a clear conscience, he waits for her to stop before inquiring of her mental state.

"Uhh….Lucy, are you okay? Why do you look like someone after they've been conned and/or realize how stupid their decision actually was?"

His reply came in panting noises that was followed by a laugh that bordered on insane and maniacal.

"Um, Lucy?" Gray asks again this time with more concern.

As quickly as she seemed to mentally break down (at least in Gray's eye's), she quickly returns to her normal state and assures her friend that all is indeed well.

"Yes, Gray?" she replies as if nothing previously happened.

"Are ….. are you okay?" Gray asks for a third time with a bit of doubt still in his voice.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" she replies as if he was the one acting weird.

"Um…. Well…. It's because…. Never mind"

He didn't want to go down the rabbit hole any further and thus left it to where they were now. After all, she seemed fine again and THAT was good enough. He didn't need any potential crack to his sanity thank you very much.

"Well with that taken care of, I also want to ask something Mira"

His friend's sanity aside, he turns toward the barmaid to make an inquiry as well.

"Yes, Gray?"

"It's just a hunch, but is Erza not being here along with the master more than coincidence?"

"Well your actually right Gray. Just before the guild opened, Master told me 'Mira, I'll have to go somewhere so I'm leaving the guild in your care for the moment and I'll be taking Erza with me. ' or so he said"

"He didn't say where he was going?"

"I'm afraid not. I think it had something to do with the Magic Council, though I've never seen him bring Erza before"

"Yeah….. that really is weird"

"What do you think is going on, Gray?"

"I don't know, but for some reason I feel a chill down my spine"

"Maybe it's time you start wearing your vest more often then" she teased.

"Ha! The day that happens is the day you and Natsu hookup" he teases back.

Finishing the necessary procedures at last, Mira hands Gray the form and just as the group get's ready to head out they are stopped in their tracks by none other than Pantherlilly.

"Guys, can I come with you? I would sure like to stretch my muscles for a bit"

Seeing no problem with bringing someone like Pantherlilly along, Lucy happily agrees.

" Not?" she replied.

"Thank you. I haven't been in my original form in a while and Erza's not here to spar with me"

"Say, I don't have to split the reward with you right?"

"No, Exceeds like myself have no use of money. Why do you ask?"

"Oh nothing really" she replies while smiling on the inside.

So with that, they leave the guild and go forth on their quest.

* * *

Six train rides and three days later, the mages finally reach their destination: the mountain city of Lantrum. Renowned for their beautiful lanterns that are sold throughout Fiore and the ones that they bring out every night to illuminate their town. Though somewhat difficult to get to , the rustic scenery, good food, pleasant people, and beautiful Lanterns make it a well sought after tourist population.

"Ahhhh, finally good to be back on land again!" said Lucy as she stretched her arms.

Being stuck in a vehicle for any long period of time, especially six, made the feeling of stable and natural ground feel like home for Lucy.

"Hey, Lucy. Where should I put this guy down?" asks Pantherlilly as he carried a heaping lump of of suffering flesh.

What was home for Lucy, it was paradise/salvation for a certain motion sick Dragonslayer.

"Oh, just leave him over there. He'll wake up sooner or later"

As the Exceed lays down the Dragonslayer, Gray is the last to leave the train. The sun shone on his eye, and it took a while for his eye's to adjust to the natural light.

"Boy, you're right Lucy. It's nice to be outside again" Gray says as well.

He had to admit, it was nice to be outside in the natural world again. Not only that, the surroundings had a nice, pleasant view to it. The leaves were rustling, the sound of the nearby river flowing without any obstruction, and the clouds slowly traveling the blue sky. The scenery was the embodiment of serene.

"It's so beautiful, just like in one of my stories. Isn't it , Pantherlilly?" she asks as she looks towards the Exceed.

"I have to admit, I haven't been in this world for long but this sight rivals of that I've seen in Edolas" the Exceed admits.

"What about you, Gray? Don't you think it's beautiful?"

She turns her head towards her fellow Ice Mage and awaits a reply.

Gray takes a second to look at the scenery before looking her straight in the eye and giving her his answer.

"Yeah…. Beautiful"

A smile escapes his face, a smile which Lucy notices as the wind gently rustles through both of their hairs. She returns a smile as well, the two not needing to exchange words. She then turns to Pantherlilly, who just stood there with his usual though face. She could never tell what exactly he was feeling, but she knew that even he was smiling…. On the inside at least.

The three stand together, watching the symphony of nature play out before them and the only sound they hear the natural orchestra that she provided. It was perfect… but like anything in the mortal world, it had to come to an end.

That end in the form of Natsu finally regaining consciousness and making an otherworldly sound as he gasps for breath.

"Damn! I hate trains even more now! I wish Happy came along. Stupid Canna and her cat toy!"

He looks around the general area and sees his friends all looking at nothing. Curious, he walks towards them and asks as to what had their attention.

"Yo, guys! What are you looking at? "

"Oh, Natsu. You're finally awake! Come enjoy the scenery with us"

"Huh? Oh wow. It is pretty"

He enjoyed the moment too, but only for a second before the sound of his grumbling stomach interrupted it.

"Oooooooh, I'm hungry. Hey, where's that village at?... Hold on, I smell something."

He sniffs the air until he finds a scent trail string enough for him to follow.

"Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, that smells delicious! I'm getting a bite of that!" he says as he runs off towards the smell of food.

"Hoy, wait for me! I'm hungry too!" Gray yells as he chases after him.

Natsu vomited a lot on the trains (a fact that he had to clean up after again and again) and so Natsu was running on empty. If that meant one thing, it's that no food pile no matter how large was safe so might as well get as much as possible before it was all gone.

"*sigh* Boys will be boys I guess" Lucy says in a defeated tone.

"Are they always like that when it comes to food?" Pantherlilly replies as they both chase after them so as not to cause any potential damage.

All was normal in Lantrum. The birds were singing their daily song wherever they are perched, the sun was high in the sky shining bright and shining proud, the wind gently giving momentary relief to those who need it, the children were playing their games while the adults were making preparations for what appears to be a festival of sorts. In the middle of it all was a jolly, old man administrating them all.

"Hohoho, make sure those tents are up and pinned before the sun gets too hot" the old man says.

"Sure thing mayor!" the young man replies.

"Hello up there. Are the decorations coming along well?"

"Yes, Mayor. The arts and Craft clubs really did well this year"

"Excellent! Just be careful up there okay?"

"Greetings ladies"

"Hi mayor" the young ladies reply.

"How is the food coming along?"

"They going great. In fact, we're even trying new recipes "

"Hohoho, well keep up the good work and don't work too hard now"

"Yes, Mayor. We'll be sure to leave a little extra for you"

"Hohoho, I can't wait!"

He leaves the ladies to their work and attends to other tasks that require his attention. As the maidens continue cooking, one of them hears a rustling sound coming from a nearby bush.

"Eh, what was that?" she asks.

When she looked at the direction she thought she heard it from, the bush was all normal. Shrugging it off, she returns to cooking only for it to be interrupted again by the rustling.

She looks back again, and the bush stops. She again shrugs it off and returns to cooking.

She was again interrupted by the rustling only this time when she looked, the bush continued to rustle and a pair of shiny eyes shone from behind.

A second later, a shadowy figure leaps from behind the bush and pounces on the lady. She screams for her life and covers her eyes before realizing that the figure actually pounced on the food. It made growling and loud chewing noises and stuffed its face with food. The creature in front of them kept eating without a care in the world.

The ladies wonder how long this animal has gone without food to make it so bold as to go it took the terrified lady (and her other female companions) a few moments to realize that it was not an animal, but a human just like them….. well, obviously not exactly like them.

"Hey, are you alright?" one of her compatriots ask.

"What is it?" another woman asks.

"Is it a new type of monster?" one of them ask.

"Nah, I think it' human. Besides, they're still doing their jobs so it can't be one." replies one of them.

"No way, a human isn't that…..filthy. It has to be a monster" replies another.

"Well, it sure doesn't look like one. It is ugly though." replies the other.

As the women continued to deliberate as to the nature of what was in front of them, the creature turned it's head and showed them a pair of crazy eyes, a mouth full of food, and mush that covered his hands. From what they saw, he truly looked like a monster.

The monster approaches the ladies slowly , causing them to scream in terror. Lucklily for them, a hero was passing by.

Well, not exactly a hero, but a ticked off Ice mage.

"Hiyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" he shouts as he delivers a flying kick towards the monster.

The beast gets knocked back into the stall, collapsing it, while Gray rant's the creature.

"You idiot! I told you to save some for me! How would you like it if other people took food from you?!"

The beast emerges from the rubble, but more clearly now as a human.

"Hoy, what was that for?!" Natsu replies.

Hmmm, lets see….. running off on your own, tearing through the forest, ambushing girls, eating all the food, eating someone else's food! Oh gee, I DON"T KNOW" he replies while saying the last part as sarcastically as possible.

As the two continue to argue, Pantherlilly and Lucy finally catch up to them and emerge from the bush as well.

" *pant* *pant**pant* Finally caught up to those idiots." Lucy says in between breaths.

"It wasn't that far Lucy, you just need to exercise more" Pantherlilly says to his exhausted companion.

Doing her best to ignore the Exceeds comment, she turns her attention towards the ladies to her side.

"Um, I'm very sorry for that idiot over there. Nothing stops him when he's hungry" she apologizes.

One of the ladies comes forward and reassures her that it was okay.

"Oh, it's okay. Nobody was hurt. Besides, we all know how men are about their food"

"If it wasn't for us, I bet they wouldn't even remember to cook it if they were hungry" replies another one.

"They can be brutish" says another.

Lucy couldn't help but giggle at their comments for she knew that they were somewhat true having experienced it firsthand almost every day. This may have been her first time in the city, but she knew that she was going to like the visit.

But she remembered that she had a job to do (and more importantly all the moola that comes with it) and so she asked the ladies about it.

"Excuse me, but this is Lantrum correct?" she asks.

"Why yes" one of them reply.

"Ah, good. Then can you please lead me to the mayor? I have to….., I mean we, have to speak to him regarding a certain job"

The ladies quickly huddle together, but before Lucy could ask what it was for they finish and one of them offers to lead her and her friends to the mayor.

"Why sure thing, Miss. Follow me, I'm sure he's here… somewhere" she says.

"Thank you so much!" she too eagerly says.

"What about your two …. uhm…friends there?"

She points towards the two mages who were still arguing and as if by a miracle not trading blows yet.

"Uh….. Pantherlilly?" Lucy asks.

The Exceed nods his head and transforms to his more muscular form.

He approaches the two mages who are too busy verbally jabbing at each other to notice a 9ft beefy cat-man thing and knocks them both out cold. His time with Earthland Erza taught him a lot of things, and knowing her technique on K.O ing Natsu and Gray at the same time was arguably one of the most useful.

Unconscious and not about to reduce Lucy's pay due to collateral damage, Pantherlilly slings the two on his shoulders and goes with Lucy and the local village woman to find the mayor.

Walking through the town, Lucy noticed that it was quite large . A few patches of trees in here and there provided shade for some while others had different purposes ranging from pillar to hanging garden. The masonry work was nothing she hasn't seen before and the more people she passed by the more she began to notice how everybody seems to know everybody.

"Hmmmm, it's just like the guild" she thought to herself

It was warm, cozy, and isolated. No wonder it was a famous tourist destination, you could easily forget any troubles you had and let time pass by as you get caught in the atmosphere of the town.

"This is nice. I should consider coming here if ever I need a quiet place to finish a novel" she thought to herself as they continued their search.

Not long after that, they find they finally find the mayor in front of the local tavern.

"That's him. Just walk up to him and say what you came here to do"

"Thank you so much" Lucy replies before the lady returns to her stand to help with the cooking.

She then approaches the jolly old man and asks.

"Um….. Excuse me. Are you the Mayor of Lantrum?"

"Hohoho, why yes young lady. How may I help you?"

"Oh, good afternoon. I'm Lucy and this here is Pantherlilly. We're from Fairytail and we're here regarding a request you sent us"

"Hohoho, so you finally came! I trust you have enjoyed your stay so far?"

"Why yes. This place is so peaceful and all the people are so nice"

"Glad to hear and if I may ask, who are those you are carrying?"

"Oh they're just my friends who just needed to….. rest for a bit"

"Are they going to be fine?"

"Don't worry, they'll wake up….eventually"

No sooner had she reassured the city leader as to the state of her friends when Pantherlilly's large from timed out and the two mages fell face first to the stone ground face first. The shock was enough to wake them both.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch my face!" shouts Natsu in pain.

"Man, that hurts! I think I broke my nose!" Gray shouts as well.

"Hohoho, well that solves that. Please, come in to the tavern here I'm sure you're all tired from your journey "

He enters the tavern and Gray gets the chance to ask just who he is.

"That's the mayor of Lantrum. He's the one who's going to give me…erm..us all those jewels if we do the job "

"Now that I think about it, what is the job he wants us to do anyway? The flyer never specified"

He shows Lucy the flyer and upon closer inspection all that was revealed as to the nature of the job was the phrase "will discuss in further detail once arrived"

"Hmmmmmmm….. I guess that would raise a red flag….. But who cares! The rewards is much more worth it! I mean, look at all these zeroes!"

Having nothing more to say, Lucy follows the lead of the mayor and heads inside the tavern followed by Gray and the others.

Upon entering, the noticed that the tavern was rather similar to their old guild hall prior to Phantomlord's demolition of it with the exception of the bar being in the middle.

"Hohoho, Mirane are you here? We have guests!"

An old lady pops up from behind the counter to reply. She gave off an aura of what some people would call a "sugar granny".

"Oh why hello my dear mayor. How are you? The festival preparations coming along well?"

"Hohoho. Why yes Mirane this year is going to be bigger than usual no doubt. "

"Well, I hope my old bones can take care of all the people this year"

"Hohoho, don't worry. The town will always be here for you when you need it"

"Thank you mayor. So, who are these younglings?"

"They're here for the job"

"Ah, I see. They look like they could do it" she cheerfully replies.

"That reminds me, what is this job after all? You didn't specify it in the flyer" Gray asks.

"Hohoho, don't worry about that. All will come in time. So please, rest first and enjoy the tavern. It's on the town"

"Wait, do we have to pay for anything?" Lucy asks.

It's not like she didn't want to enjoy hospitality, but she had to make sure if it would be reduced from their pay.

"Hohoho, if you finish the job then it won't"

"Works for us!" they all agree and with that the mayor leaves them to enjoy themselves.

Seeing that he had other matters to attend to, they all take his advice and enjoy the tavern. Pantherlilly was pouncing on a large cat toy that resembled a fish, Gray was playing a punching game and losing while Lucy was off at the slot machine hoping to strike it lucky.

There was only one thing missing from this scenery: a certain pink haired Dragonsalyer, who was not off enjoying himself but drinking all by his lonesome. He was left alone for a good amount of time before the old barmaid breaks him out of his daze.

"I do say dear, you must really like my apple cider if you're not enjoying with your friends over there"

"Hm? Oh yeah, it's really good. Better than what we have in the guild"

He had to admit, whatever was in this drink tasted better than anything Mirajane ever served him and he couldn't help but gobble it down. Delicious drinks aside though, that wasn't what was on his mind and the eyes of the old barmaid saw it clearly.

"It's a girl, isn't it?" she casually asks while rubbing a glass.

"Wha?" he replied.

"*giggle* You heard me right young lad. You're not only enjoying my drinks, but you're thinking about a girl right now and by the looks of it you're worried about her"

Natsu was taken aback a bit. She was completely right. He was enjoying her drinks and was still thinking about as to why Erza still left without her telling anybody. Had she said more like her actual name or something else of the sort then he would have freaked out, but instead it made Natsu suspicious.

"Yeah, that's right. How did you know? Are you using mind reading magic or something?"

"Oh dear, no magic here. Just some good ol' ladies intuition"

"Is ladies intuition a magic too? I keep hearing that from all my other friends"

"*giggle* Oh dear, you're a funny one"

"Really? I didn't notice…"

He tries to return to his daze and goes back to drinking to get his mind of the matter, but just like Mirajane she was persistent.

"You know, talking about it always helps no matter what age you are. Believe me, I've been there myself and I've seen it on many people's faces as the years went by in this bar"

"….."

"So, what did she do to get someone like you so worried?"

He doesn't answer immediately. He was trying to arrange his jumbled thoughts into a coherent line so he could say them. From questions like "Should I tell her anything at all" to "Did I leave Happy with enough food at home?", he couldn't get any of it together.

But like a blazing campfire that burned for too long , his thoughts eventually calmed and he was able to speak his mind.

"It's just….. how do I say this…. Um….. She…. She just…." he fumbled with his words. Perhaps that fire still had a little kick left to it.

"Yes?" the old barmaid replies, her attention all on the poor, confused lad.

"It's just…. she just left with our master and didn't tell any of us where. Usually before she would go out she would always say where, but this is the first time in…. ever actually that she didn't tell anybody at all "

"Mhm, I see….."

"I know she can handle herself, believe me I have firsthand experience with that, but I can't help but feel like this, so worried and all"

"Dammit! Why am I like this?! All she did was leave and NOT tell anybody! That shouldn't be a big deal and yet…. Arghhh! I'm so confused!"

The pink haired mage buries his face in frustration while the aged woman watches on and smile in amusement. She had seen this before and experience told her exactly what to do in a situation like this.

"It's not that complicated at all " she casually says.

Having said the answer many times already, she anticipated what the younger will say in response to it with almost a clairvoyant accuracy.

"What do you mean?"

As expected.

"Well, according to you she can handle herself and thus you need not worry about her at all. Yet here you are almost about to tear your hair out"

"I know that already. What I wanted to know was why you said it wasn't so complicated" he hastily replied back.

Not having the best of wit, he grows easily annoyed when someone beats-around-the-bush and just didn't tell him outright.

"Well because it really isn't. You don't think it's a big deal, but your heart feel like it's a big deal. That's where the conflict lies. Who do you listen to? Your head or your heart? What you know or what you feel? "

"Hmmmmmmmmmmm….. well, my head always tells me to look for food if that counts"

Now she hasn't heard an answer like that before. It turns out that the world still had a few surprises left for her and she couldn't help but giggle at the young man's answer.

"But… my heart tells me that she's going to be alright. I know her very well and so I shouldn't worry, but when I remember that this is the only time she ever left without telling anybody and I think about the reasons why then I can't help but worry again "

"Then that only means that you must care very deeply about her" she replies

"How couldn't I? We grew up together so she's one of my closest friends"

"Are you sure that she's only a friend?" she asks, her tone trying to imply something.

But this being Natsu, he thought nothing of it and instead found it strange as to why she was saying such.

"Of course. Why would you ask that?"

"Well, sometimes people don't see what's in front of them no matter how obvious and by the time they do it may be too late"

"See? Too late? Obvious?Right in front of you?... Now your not making any sense"

"*giggle* Oh don't worry dear. I'm sure with the right scenario it will all be clear"

While Natsu pondered as to what the aged barmaid meant, he was interrupted by Gray who called out from his place regarding the punching game that was beating him rather badly.

"Hoy, Natsu! Come help me with this damn thing! I swear it cheats!" the ice mage shouted out in frustration.

"Sure" he says as he gets up and leaves the barmaid to her duties.

"Ahh, how exciting the uncertainty is in the spring of youth" she comments to herself as she continues her duties and reminisces on her time as a youth gone by.

* * *

Hours pass by and the sun sets after a long day laboring from high above. As the last of the natural light fades and darkness creeps in to take its place, the people hold it at bay with what gave their city it's fame: their beautiful lanterns.

From intricate patterns, to leaf shapes, to dragon forms that appear to move as if alive, and even entire miniature towers the Lanterns that came to illuminate the night gave the light that shone from their insides even more beauty than what each could have achieved individually.

To those who behold such a sight every night, it was a sight that never got old but to the eyes of an outsider it overwhelms the senses with amazement.

"Woah, amazing! I heard that the lanterns were pretty, but I didn't know that they were this amazing!" says Lucy as she marveled at the beauty of the bringers of light.

"I have to admit, they are pretty to look at" says Gray.

Even he was amazed as to the design of the lanterns. Why would people put so much time into these things anyway? But he wasn't complaining, on the contrary it made him appreciate them even more.

Pantherlilly was amazed at them too, but not in the way his human friends were. His amazement was more of similar as to when a cat observes a fish swimming close enough the water's surface. In this case, he was observing a lantern in the shape of a fish and was both mesmerized by the light and waiting for a moment to pounce on it.

He got his chance, only for his pounce to go through the lantern and for him to be repaid by a semi-burning tail.

"Ech!Hot, hot, hot!" he yelped in pain as hey puts out the fire.

"*giggle* Pantherlilly, the fish isn't real" Lucy commented with a tint of humor in her voice. Though one would have to admit, it was rather funny.

"I know, but I just couldn't help it. They just look so real and the light"

He looks back at the fish and feels the urge to pounce at it again, but he quickly shakes his head and takes control of his animal instinct.

"Hey Natsu, what do you think of the Lanterns?"

She looked towards his direction and found her answer in the form of Natsu eating the flames out of the lanterns…. Sure, why not?

"Ooooooohhhh, these flames each have a flavor to them! How do they do that? This city is awesome!" he says as he continues to eat the various flames.

Giving out a sigh like one does when defeat is admitted, she along with the others move on and enjoy the festival.

Looking around, it was similar to what most people picture a festival would be: plenty of people, stalls the covered every inch of the street, colorful lights, and excitement everywhere. The exception with this one being the beautiful lanterns previously mentioned which, in turn added a certain beauty to this festival.

They wander aimlessly until, by coincidence they meet the mayor again.

"Hohoho, well if it isn't our visitors. How are you enjoying your stay in Lantrum so far?" he said in his usual jolly tone.

"It's great! I'm starting to love this town" Lucy happily replied back.

Who could blame her? Friendly people, beautiful craft works, food variety that seemed endless, peaceful background it seemed like a perfect town.

"Hohoho, I'm glad you like it here"

"Yes, this place is nice and all but regarding the request" Gray said.

Perfect town or not, they were here because of a request and as members of a guild they had to fulfill it.

"Hohoho, why the rush young man? Like I said, all will come in time"

"*sigh* Yeah, I guess you're right" Gray says.

They had a duty, but Gray didn't want to come off as rude especially since the mayor and everyone was so nice to them. So he let it go and enjoyed the festival with the rest of his friends….. for now.

As the group walks out of sight, the mayor sees Mirane and chats with her.

"Hohoho, howdy Mirane! How are you ?"

"Oh mayor, it's good to see you too" she replies.

"How were are guests? Were they too much trouble?"

"Oh no, it was nothing I could handle. Though one of them had an issue of the heart"

"Ahh, typical of the youth these days no?"

"That's why we're here right? To guide them with our experience"

"Hohoho, well we did go through them already"

"Indeed mayor"

"So… did they drink a lot?"

"Oh yes. I was surprised as to how much they could hold down! In fact, my stock is almost dry"

"How much longer do you think before it kicks in?"

"Considering how much they drank… not long"

"Hohoho, I can always count on you Mirane"

"Awww, thank you mayor"

They exchange smiles and part ways.

We then return to our heroes who were still wandering around and having a good time.

"Wow, there's just so much to see!" Lucy comments.

"Yeah, I'm starting to think it's too much" Gray replies.

The town may be a bit smaller than Magnolia, but it was still large and he was beginning to wonder if they could even see half of the festival at this rate.

"I think we should split up. that way we cover more ground" Pantherlilly suggests to the group.

"Yeah then let's meet back at the town square and let's try NOT to destroy anything. Okay?" says Lucy.

They all agreed and split up. Lucy went one direction, Gray went to another, while Natsu and Pantherlilly went together.

While some would like to see what the others may be doing, we now focus our attention to Natsu.

He was enjoying himself, but as they continued to walk together Pantherlilly noticed something about the pink haired Dragonsalyer. Not only that, he also noticed something earlier when they were all still together and it stuck in his mind.

So, waiting for Natsu to finish with what seemed to be his 13th stall, he worded the inquiry that bothered his mind.

"Natsu, are you okay?" the Exceed asks.

"Hm? Obvkourse….. I'em….. Okayz. Vhy?" he replies with his face still stuffed with food.

"Well… ummmmmm… are you sure you don't want to swallow first? "

"Gnow….. I'em… gud"

"Right…. Anyway I noticed that you were not as jovial as you usually are when with the others and you were rather quiet up until we split up… well, relatively quiet."

"Mhm….. and?" he says while chewing.

"Now it's just a hunch, but are you still thinking of Erza by any chance?"

Hearing that name made him swallow the ridiculous amount of food he stuffed in his face (well, if he could get it in there he could get it down) which to Pantherlilly confirmed his suspicions.

Natsu, now more serious and with a clear mouth, replies back.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Only if you look hard enough"

Natsu sighed. He was right.

"So, what's on your mind exactly"

"I just wish she was here enjoying with all of us. I'm also still bothered as to why she and the master left without telling anybody"

"I'm sure they have they have a good reason "

"I know that, I'm just wondering what it is"

"To be honest… I want to know as well. But if there's one thing I learned from the guild, it's that everybody can trust one another. So trust them and everything should be alright"

"Yeah, I guess your right" Natsu concedes and he continues to stuff his face with food.

Though Pantherlilly suspected that he wasn't absolute in his concession, he decided to drop the matter and continue along with his Dragonsalyer friend….. for now.

Time passes by and before our Fairy Tail Mages knew it, hours had gone when they met again at the city square.

"Uwha, the food here is the best I've had in a long time! I wish I could eat all of it!" says Natsu as he walks to the square with an inflated belly.

"I doubt any wallet would be able to handle your appetite" replies Pantherlilly.

Hours of walking around and he's still amazed as to how one person could eat that much food and still keep going. He's seen monsters in Edolas eat, Natsu was on a whole different level. He reminded himself never to offer to pay for his food seeing that Natsu drained his personal sack full of jewels faster than a cat pounces on moving light.

After while of walking around, they finally find the other two Fairy Tail mages whose appearance with certain items warranted explanation.

"Hey there. You guys….. um… look like you had a lot of fun" says Pantherlilly.

Lucy looked like she had the time of her life while Gray was… well… not happy in the dress he was in.

"Oh Pantherlilly, you should have been there! At first I was just looking around, but after a fortune teller told me that my luck would be good in this town I've been winning every prize, game, and lottery draw in this festival! I mean, do you see all these prizes?! Heck, some of them feel like they have gold in them that I can sell off if I wanted too! But no way, I'm keeping these to remind me of the best night I've ever had! I've never been so glad to win in my entire life!" she tells him, her eyes glistening with joy and excitement.

"Um….. good for you. Gray, what's your story?" Pantherlilly asks as he turns his attention to the male mage in the dress.

"It was terrible! At first I was enjoying this place, but then all of the sudden two muscular guys came out of nowhere kidnapped me and put in the Best Cross Dresser Contest! They put me in various wigs and outfits until I finally ended up with…. This! How do girls walk around such a short skirt, heck how do girls walk around with skirts at all?! But oh, that's not the worst part. The worst part is that I won and the guy judges all agreeing that if I was a girl they would so go out with me. One of them even said 'I would so hit on you'. Can you believe that?! Even if he knew I was a guy! That's just wrong! Screw that the women thought of him as handsome, it was creepy! I've never been so ashamed of winning in my entire life!" he says as he buries his face in shame.

"Hahahahahahaahahah! It looks like the Ice Princess finally looks right! Hahahaha, how may I serve you your royal higness? Hahahaha" Natsu was able to say in between laughs.

It was rare to see Gray humiliated to this degree and Natsu was going to enjoy every moment of it, no matter what. Gray, seeing his rival bawling on the floor at his expense, was not going to have any of it. He mustered all the fury he could and directed it to the fire mage.

"Hoy, why don't you say that to my face Lizardboy or are you too afraid that a guy in a dress would totally wipe the floor with you?"

Normally, this would have worked. Natsu would have gotten angry, challenge him head on, and a fight would ensue. But not this time. This time, Natsu was too busy trying to catch his breath in between laughs and he didn't care as to what Gray sadi. He was going to enjoy this moment for as long as possible.

"Hahahahahaha, is that a request? As in a ryal request? Hahahahahha, then as her majesty commands! Hahahahahahaha"

"Shut up before I unleash a blizzard on you!"

"Hhahahahah, Or what? What will her majesty do with all that repressed anger? Let it go cause you can't hold it back anymore? Hhahahahahah"

"Stop it! Or I'll…. I'll…."

"Build an army of snowmen and send them against me? Ask me to build one for you? Hahahahaha"

He was stumped. Natsu couldn't normally last one insult, and here he was just coming with comeback after comeback. Nothing was working and he could feel the stares of the people right at him.

Seeing that he could do nothing, he became one with his clothing and reacted as a normal girl would after being teased long enough.

"Stupid Natsu! I hope you die laughing! Baka Baka Baka!" he screamed as the frozen tears streamed out of his eyes and he ran away all girly like.

"Wait, Gray come back!" Lucy called out, only for her calls to be drowned in his cries.

"Oh look and what you've done to Gray!" she says as she turns her attention to the Dragonslayer still laughing on the floor. Though his laughter was starting to calm down.

"Hahahahah. Oh relax Lucy, he's a lot tougher than he looks. He'll get over it"

"Are you sure? I mean, he seemed really distraught"

"I don't know what distraught means, but he will get over it. Just wait and see"

She decides to trust her friend's words and picks him up from the ground to help him clean himself up.

Just as she finishes, a bell rings and all the townsfolk focus on the central building, the noise dying down as quickly.

"Huh? What's going on?" asks Pantherlilly.

His words also echoed the thoughts of the blonde mage. A town in the middle of festivities just doesn't quiet down, especially this quickly. She looked around and asked a nearby person as to what was happening.

"Oh, you must be an outsider. We're about to commence the First Light ceremony" he says.

"First Light ceremony?" she repeats.

"Yes. The whole point of this festival is to celebrate the first light that came to Lantrum. Ah, what luck. Here they come now" he says as he point out to a certain clearing in the middle of the crowd.

The three turn their heads and see people dressed in more expensive looking clothes walking with unlit lanterns, each one having a design that stood above all the surrounding ones.

"Who are those?" asks Pantherlilly.

"Those are the current generations of the first families that settled Lantrum and gave it the name thanks to the Lanterns. Their walking to the central building where the first magic fire used to light the first lanterns and all the Lanterns now is housed and kept"

Now that he mentioned it, Lucy remembered seeing that building. It stood out because or the ornate decorations surrounding on the masonry and the two giant doors that was even more ornate. Not only that, but she also noticed something glowing bright inside of it even though it was daytime. She wanted to ask what it was, but then forgot about it when she found the mayor.

The two doors open, revealing a bright, burning fire that roared with intensity. It seemed alive as it burned brighter when the people revealed themselves. They say a something that Lucy couldn't decipher before the fire gives part of itself into one of the lamps and illuminates it brightly.

The people bow and the doors remain open as the walk up to the stage and set their lanterns down on it. They sit down on the chairs of the stage while the mayor appears to address the crowd.

"Hohoho! Welcome all welcome to the seasonal First Light festival! First, I would like to thank all the people who helped in making the festival better every year and to all the people that come and enjoy them! I promise that these eight days shall be one of the best if not the best we've had in years!"

"Eight days?" Lucy asks.

"Yeah. The festival lasts eight days with the first three days reserved especially for the town"

"Why reserve the first three days?" Lucy asks.

It was the first time she heard of a festival that lasted a week to be exclusive at first to the people.

As if by sheer luck, just as she was about to ask why her answer came in the form of a rag-tag band or armed men coming into the town. In short, they were the stereotypical bandits.

"Ah, here they are now! Welcome gentlemen, how was your trip?"

The mayor greets them as if good friends, which confused the hell out of the Fairy tail mages and exceed.

Why would a mayor of a town welcome bandits? Raiding, pillaging, destructive, marauding, uses the point end a lot bandits into the town? Especially with the people out.

Speaking of people, none of them were panicking in the traditional manner as people do when raiders come into the town. A few whispers here and there but all in all the people seemed alright with it. What was going on?!

"Hoy, mayor. You look better every time despite your age! You drinking an elixir or something?" the leader of the group says.

He was rather tall with a normal build. His hair stood completely up and he was using a one-handed sword.

"Hohoho, well it seems like I'm aging with grace then "

"Yeah, not many people who can do that old man"

"Hohoho, I'll take that as an accomplishment"

Now the three were even more confused than before. These two, byt default should be at odds with each other and yet here they are talking casually? Now they really wanted to know what the hell was going on in this town

"Well boys, were finally here! I told you it would be great! Mayor if you please? "

"Hohoho, why of course. It's all yours and we hope you enjoy"

The bandit leader gives a snicker and holds his hand up high.

"All right lads, dig in but don't be too rowdy and don't destroy any homes now ya hear?!"

They all give their shout of approval and the leader lets down his hand.

The bandits immediately disperse and immediately become a ravenous band. Some were eating food out of the stalls like there was no tomorrow, some went to the gaming stalls and played like madmen, some grabbed all the merchandise they could carry, while others played with said merchandise.

Natsu and the others were stupefied beyond belief. Not only did the mayor let bandits in willingly, but he's basically letting them raid the town! They looked to the mayor, whom they expected to give a signal to stop them at any moment. To say unto the bandits that their reign of terror was over and that it was up to them to drive them out for good. Unfortunately, as appropriate and cliché that would be for this moment, it simply wasn't the case. The mayor just stood there, smiling as it all unfolded while the townsfolk let it happen. The three all had one thing in their mind, what the hell is up with this town?!

Seeing all this happen, the bandit leader gave an approving snicker to some of the men actions while he gave a disapproving sigh to some which confused the three even more. As the leader continued to look, he saw a beautiful girl that caught his eye.

He gave a huge smile and walked up towards her.

"Hey, your kinda cute. Come here "

She hesitates and resists for a moment, before looking towards here friends and the mayor both of which gave her a look that she understood.

She turns back towards the bandit leader and asks him nicely.

"Um…. please be gentle with me. I'm still not used to this"

The bandit leader's smile grows as he teases her.

"Huh? Gentle? Not used to it? I' don't know what you're implying, I just want to have some fun!"

He pulls the lady towards himself and that was the last straw for the Fioren mages, especially for Natsu. He wasn't going to let bandits do whatever they want to innocent people! Not while he was around. He was part of Fairy Tail and Fairy Tail NEVER lets people get hurt on their watch! Not Erza, not Makarov, not Laxus, not anybody! Not now and not ever.

He gave the others a look and they all agreed to it. Whatever was going on in this town, it didn't matter at the moment . They were going to save the people and nothing was going to stop them.

"Hoy you. Let her go!" Natsu shouted as he charged through the crown towards the bandit leader.

All was in place. The heroes' charging towards the enemy, ready to meet them head on and save the people while the villain continued his wicked ways, unsuspecting the force of justice that was about to befall him. All was at it should be.

But the truth is, things don't always go according to plan and the move that you never suspect or see coming is the one that ends the game long before you realize what had befallen you.

His charge stops. Something was wrong. His body felt strange. At first it was his legs, they stopped moving and tried as he might they would not obey his will.

They fell to the ground and forced the Dragonslayer to kneel.

Next was his chest. It felt warm. He quickly gasped for breath to see if he could still breathe.

He could, but with every breath his chest felt like it usually felt when he was in bed: contracted and… relaxed?

As his body falls, he uses his arms to keep it up. They had not yet fallen to whatever ailed the rest of his body, but he felt that it would not be that way for long.

He looked back to his friends. They too were on their knees and struggling to stay up. Lucy was holding her head while Pantherlilly swayed back and forth.

He tried to call out to them, his voice weak and a whisper. He tried again, this time screaming. All that came out was a weaker voice.

He looked towards the townsfolk and saw that they were not paying him any attention. It was as if they weren't even there.

He could see them clearly. Why didn't they help? Why were they just looking? Why were…

Natsu's thoughts began to cloud. His arms, desperately fighting a losing battle to keep him upright.

He was seeing double, then triple. The voices and sounds becoming unrecognizable noises.

His body not succumbing to pain and exhaustion, but being overcome with what he could only describe as relaxation. He was relaxing and he didn't want too.

So he fought his hardest like he always does, but just like his test on Tenroujima with Gildarts this was a fight he could not win.

His last sight: the illuminating lanterns that slowly became orbs of light; then fading into darkness.

* * *

Natsu floated in the darkness for a while and wondered where he was. Wasn't he just in a town? What was he doing here? Why was he here? What was this place? Did he leave the stove on?

After what felt like an eternity, he saw a light. Having nowhere else to go he headed for that light.

He ran and ran and ran and ran until the light got ever so closer. When he got close enough, he saw that it was the guild building itself.

Not wanting to return to the infinite void behind him, he went with what was familiar and entered the building. When he opened the doors he was expecting it to be full of his guild mates jumping around, drinking, fighting, and having fun. All he saw, however, was an empty guild hall: Clean, quiet, most of the tables empty and intact.

There was nobody inside, save for two figures he recognized all too well . One was eating her strawberry cake while another was cleaning glasses at the bar. He gave a sigh of relief in knowing that he at least wasn't alone.

"Hey Erza, glad you're back! Where were you? Everyone's been so worried when you and the master just left. Mind telling us where you've been?"

She gives no answer and only continues to indulge herself in her pastry.

"Um, hello? Earth to Erza? Are you here?"

No matter what his cries were, his friend didn't answer. Confused, he turned to his other friend.

"Yo Mira, what's up with Erza? Is something wrong with her? Did something happen? Also when did she return?"

The barmaid gave him no reply as well and she only continued her duties.

Frustrated, he marches towards Mirajane to demand an answer and to find out what exactly was going on.

"Hey Mira, why won't you answer me? Why won't Erza answer me? What happened to her?What happened to you? What's going on here?!" he began to shout.

As he finally got to the counter, Mirajane appeared to finally give him the attention he was looking for. Glad, he opened his mouth to ask a question, only for her to lay down whatever she was holding and begin to give a traditional Japanese bow.

"Hey, Mira. What are you bowing for. Mira?!"

He looked over the counter, only to see that she was no longer there.

"What the?!"

He was now even more confused. Wasn't she just here a moment ago? What happened to her? Why did she bow?

Beginning to panic, he turns toward Erza who was still there eating her strawberry cake. He gave a sigh of relief and headed towards her.

"Hey Erza, did you see that?! Mira just disappeared! Vanished! Do you know what'g going on?! Erza!"

He stretched out his hand in an attempt to grab her shoulder, but just as he came into contact she turned into a puff of smoke.

The smoke slowly grew and once it had grown large enough, the guild hall began to burn. Fire just appeared out of nowhere all around Natsu.

Now he was shocked beyond all belief and why wouldn't he be? First he ended up in a black place, then the guild hall was mostly empty, next his friends wouldn't talk to him, one of them just disappears, and now the other one turns into smoke and burns the guild!

While he was still trying to gather himself, the earth began to quake very violently. He held onto a nearby table to stabilize himself.

The quake seemed to last for an eternity until the front of the guild hall exploded, knocking Natsu from his place and further into the burning building.

When he regained consciousness and his vision cleared, he couldn't believe his eyes. What was in front of him were two beings the likes of which he has never seen. They were tall and menacing, human like yet also not. One was made of pure fire, his shape all jagged and wild. Below him explosions upon explosions. His fire roared louder than anything Natsu had ever heard. In fact, it may have been louder than Igneels roar if that was possible.

The figure next to him was completely different. Instead of fire, it was pure black. Darkness with what looked like a red lightning core at his chest . His shape smooth, sharp and in a way elegant. The sound he made was a combination of a shrieking noise and that of something hard breaking constantly.

He looked on in terror, paralyzed with awe and fear. The only thing similar about the two were the semblances of a face. The fire one with big round eyes and a wide, gleeful smile while the other with eyes sharp and triangular. He had no smile.

When he was finally able to look down again, he saw that it was not just the guild burning, but the entire land as well. Not only that, but there were spears, swords, helmets and what looked like dead bodies that scattered throughout the land.

He couldn't move. What was happening? He looked back up and saw that the fire being was readying to punch him with his flaming fist. As it got closer, the black being attacked him as well with his large bladelike arm with blood covering and dripping from it, but when he did a large smile appeared on the face. A smile that gave Natsu chills.

He couldn't do anything. After all, what could he do? What could anyone do? He just stayed there and awaited his fate.

As the two attacks collided upon him, everything shattered like a mirror and he fell into darkness .The laugh of the fire being echoing in the background while the darkness he was falling into revealed to be the palm of the dark being as it slowly closed on him; the last thing he saw before falling into the eternal void were their two smiling faces.

* * *

He awoke again and found himself in a dark room illuminated by a few torches. Though faint, he could see crates and barrels scattered throughout though he couldn't tell for sure since his vision was still blurred.

He needed to rub his eyes to clear his vision. The only problem was, when he tried to move his and he couldn't.

"Huh?"

His arm felt stuck. The more he tried to move them, the more he felt something rough biting into them. Something rough, something dry, and somewhat furry?

It felt familiar, but he just couldn't think clearly enough to know what it was.

Frantically shaking his head to get it into order until finally his vision cleared and his mind was mostly functional.

He looked at what was holding his arms down and immediately recognized what it was: rope. Very thick rope. He struggled even more to try and escape them, but eventually he gave up. They were just too tight and he couldn't use his fire because he had more food than flame in his stomach.

Seeing that he couldn't do much, he decided to inspect his new environment so he could know exactly where he was.

The crates and barrels he saw earlier were now clearer. There were few torches hanging from the pillars and he saw what looked like… chains? Wait. Chains, crates, torches dark environment, him tied up. Was this a dungeon? Was he in a dungeon?

"Hey! Hey, anybody here?! HEY?!"

Good, he could speak again and his body was responding at least.

"Hoy! Why am I here?! Hey, anyone answer me!"

"Shut up Lizardboy, I'm trying to sleep" said a familiar voice.

"What the? Gray, is that you?" he shouts. Hearing his voice reminded him about the others and his mind now focused on their whereabouts.

"I said shut up! Give me another minuet or two" he groggily says back.

Yup, it was Gray. Definitely Gray. Now with that settled…..

"Pantherlilly, Lucy are you here two?"

"Ah, Natsu, you're finally awake!" Lucy replies back.

"Natsu, are you okay? You sounded like you had a nightmare" Pantherlilly replies as wel.

"Nightmare….."

He remembered the darkness, the fire, the….. beings.

"So …it was a dream. I'm so glad "

"What was that?"

"Uh, nothing Pantherlilly"

"So, anybody know where we are?" Natsu asked, diverting attention from his nightmare.

"I don't know. The last thing I remember was standing in the middle of the crowd, feeling drowzy and then I woke up next to Pantherlilly all tied up" Lucy replied.

"What about you Gray?" he asked.

"I was running then I just …collapsed"

"Damn, what's going on here?"

Now fully awake, Natsu wanted to see if another soul other from his friends was around to tell him exactly where he was.

"HOY! WHERE IS EVERYBODY?! WHY DID YOU TIE US UP?! WHY ARE WE IN HERE?! HEY?!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.

A few more screams and he got his answer. The dungeon lit up with more torches which revealed how much bigger it was from what they saw earlier. The torches revealed people in robes that hid their faces. They were surrounded.

"Hey, ho are you? Why did you put us here?! Why are we tied up?! " the Dragonslayer demanded of them.

Tied up in an underground room along with his friends and with creepy robed people around. Who wouldn't demand an explanation? They, however didn't say anything whatsoever and just silently stood there.

"Hoy, answer me right now or I'll blow you all away with my fire!" he screamed.

Whether it was because of his threat or not, one of them stepped forward toward the Dragonslayer . All the while, not saying was this, some kind of dark cult? Well, Natsu and the others were about to find out.

The figure came closer to Natsu and before the Dragonslayer knew it, the robed figure quickly drew out a knife and cut the ropes that were binding him.

The robed figure then motions his hand toward the group and some of them step forward and cut his friends loose as well.

Having been freed, Natsu and the others get on their feet. Still not sure whether these people were friend or foe, Natsu repeated his question.

"Hey, why were we tied up and what are we doing here?"

The robed figure still didn't speak, but instead slowly removed his hood revealing himself to be none other than *drum roll please* the mayor of Lantrum.

"Huh? Mayor? Is that really you?" Lucy said in confusion.

The mayor replies with a yes and tells the others to lower their hoods as well.

"Hohoho. Alright everyone I think they 're okay"

They lower their hoods and revealed themselves to be the citizens of Lantrum. Not all of them were present, but enough of them were there to fill the dungeon.

"What, the barmaid too?" Gray reacts as well.

"Hey, aren't those the women Natsu scared off the first time we came here?" Pantherlilly recalls.

They were all there which made this entire thing all the more perplexing….. and demanding of an explanation.

"Alright gramps, start talking. You call us out here to your town, let bandits raid it and then you kidnap us! What the hell is going on?!" Gray demanded. He may have held back before, but with all that happened, as the yanks say, "all bets were off".

"Allow me" the mayor replied as he offered to speak on behalf of the entire town.

The mages give a nod of approval and the mayor tells them the secret history of the town that they have done well to hide from the light of day.

"As you know, this place was originally uncharted, mountain land. When the first settlers of Lantrum came here, they wondered why nobody had taken it yet. All the resources were untouched, it there was plenty of space, and though hard to get to it was not impossible. So, seeing that there was nobody around to challenge the claim they took it"

"Go on" says Pantherlilly.

"Settlement was successful and so the first brought over their friends, family, families friends and other people they knew to the settlement. It grew quickly and for the first few months it was perfect. That is, until people started disappearing at night. Like I said, the settlement grew quickly and it came with a lot of people. So when one or two here and there started vanishing it wasn't that much of a problem. The ones here merely assumed that they packed up and left"

"Okay" says Gray.

"But then it got worse. People started disappearing during the day until finally when one person disappeared there was blood. A lot of blood. Some say he was a trained warrior so when people saw it they assumed he was killed, but his house indicated he fought back fiercely. That wasn't the end of it though, in fact it became standard. Every time someone disappeared, there was blood"

"Oh my…." Lucy says as she hold her hand towards her mouth.

"The people were getting scared. The attacks were more frequent at night and the ones that disappear during the day are usually the ones alone. So, the four families that came here first ordered special fire from the capital itself. This fire would never go out by normal means and could be used to defend yourself if you knew how. The families then put said fires in lamps and gave it to the others "

"And?" Natsu says.

"It gave the people a means to see at night since it was harder to stay together at night than it was during the day. About a day or two later, one of the townsfolk finally saw what it was that was taking other people. It was monsters from the nearby forests. They were and are still hideous. They come in groups and quickly snatch you before you have a chance to scream. From then on it made sense, why people vanished without a trace, why after the warrior disappeared they became more hostile presumably they thought that we were a threat now, and why most of the kidnapping happened to people alone or in small groups "

"Why didn't you fight back?"Pantherlilly asks.

"They did. The people resolved to finally end the threat. They got all they had along with the magic fire and marched into the forest to deal with the monsters. What happened next was a slaughter. But not wanting to let it continue, the survivors continued to fight back. It also happens that the magic fire was very effective in both scaring and killing the monsters. We finally won and drove them out until … "

"Until?" Gray asks.

"Until the monsters came back and this time they became serious and coordinated. They decimated every party we sent out until we were forced just stay on town and hold out. The people gathered all the resources they could carry during the day and at night they would hold off the monsters strategic and savage attacks the best way they could. The city was under siege "

"Why didn't you just leave?" Lucy asks.

"And go where? As you can see this is the only place in the area that has sustainable resources, there isn't another town or garrison for miles on end, the kingdom was at war during that time so they couldn't send soldiers, and strange as it may seem the surrounding trees that the monsters used and design of the town actually gave the best protection against the attacks."

"That sounds like a tough time"Natsu comments.

They could only imagine what those people at the time were going through and the small animosity that the fairy Tail members felt they felt slowly faded.

"If we did leave the monsters would just pick most of us off if not all of us. The people were trapped and desperate to end the nightmare. They were courageous, but they weren't warriors. No matter how many died, the monsters just kept coming back in number and every time they did they became more dangerous. Nothing they seemed to do worked and this is where the bandits come in"

The four mages come closer and become more attentive.

"They settled somewhere nearby and when they saw that we were the only town around they did what typical bandits do. Being attacked on both sides, one of the 4 main town families had a plan. They deliberately made themselves vulnerable one night and as they attacked, the monsters attack right on schedule. The bandits were driven back and we took care of the remaining monsters"

"Clever" praised Pantherlilly.

"If you think that was clever then you'll love this part. Having been defeated, the four house leaders found the bandit camp and talked to the leader. At first he refused and were captured. Unknown to the bandits, they prepared for such a scenario. They had left a trail for the monsters to follow and only they knew how to erase it. Since they were captured, they didn't get to erase it and they camp was attacked"

"What happened next?" Lucy asked with wonder in her voice.

"The bandits were being decimated and when they finally lost enough men, the house leaders offered to help them fend it off. Desperate, the bandit leader agreed and so with their guidance the camp survived the night. They then talked to the leader again and as he listened they made him an offer that he couldn't refuse"

"What was the offer?" asked Gray.

"Well, we had learned how to gather plenty of resources during the day and make them very useful while they had the bathe harden nature we lacked and weaponry. So the deal was this: we give them the resources they need , they use it to keep as many monsters away from the town and we hold a festival thanking them every season. We were able to negotiate to give them the three days standard"

"Then?" asked Natsu in anticipation.

"Then, everything became better. The monsters attacks mostly stopped, the bandits recovered their numbers, and we were finally able to expand the town. Lantrum became one of Fiore's famous cities, but to quiet the curiosity of some outsiders we posted that there was a bandit problem and deliberately offered a small amount "

"That way, nobody would take it , suspicions on how the town remained safe were dispersed, and you made Lantrum into the city it was today while keeping your secret " Pantherlilly finished.

"Correct. Lantrum is what it is today not only because of the magic fire and the lanterns, but secretly also because of the bandits"

"But then, why such the increase in the reward all of a sudden?" Lucy asked. It was that reward that got her attention and finally brought her here so she was wondering what the story behind it was too.

"It's simple really. Recently, the bandits grew more….. rowdy when they came to the festivals. Sure they were wild and a bit rowdy, but what they've been doing recently compared to before was becoming too much to tolerate. I didn't know what was going on at the time until some of them came to the town hall for the very first time"

"What did they come for?" asked Gray.

"They came to tell me that things weren't okay back at the stronghold. They didn't give that much detail other than the fact that most of them didn't like how things were turning out. So, we sent out a bigger reward to draw somebody in and it worked with you four"

"So what is it exactly you wanted us to do?" Natsu asked the most importance question of the night.

"Simple. We want you to go to the stronghold, find out what's going on, and fix the problem. Please, we beg you. Help us"

He went on his knees and the rest of the people followed suit.

"Please, help us!" they all begged.

This was a first for the group , seeing this many people beg them for their help. They all huddled up, and discussed on what to do. After a few minutes, they asked one more question.

"How were you able to get us down here?" Gray asked.

"Oh I put some sleeping herbs in the drinks you had. They only put you to sleep and they're completely harmless. Believe me, we all take some of them sometimes " Mirane replies.

They huddle up again, and after a few more minuets, they finally give the people their answer.

"Well why didn't you just tell us earlier? You didn't have to go through all of this!" Natsu said with a smile on their face.

"Of course we'll help you, mayor. It would be shameful and stupid not to" Gray replied as well.

"Finally, I get to fight again" Pantherlilly commented as well, excited about fighting monsters.

"I promise you mayor, well take care of this problem for you" Lucy said in an assuring manner.

"Hohoho! Thank you very much!"

The people cheer wildly after hearing the reply.

The mayor then leads them out of the dungeon, which happened to be under the local tavern they were in earlier and when more lighting showed it appeared that it was not a dungeon but a very, very, very, very large basement.

The people led them to the edge of the town and before they left the mayor gave them some final instructions.

"Oh before you go one final thing. Please, if you really need to fight, don't harm most of the bandits. They may not look like it, but they're not all bad"

The people agree to this statement and give their comments as well on how they shouldn't be too tough on the bandits.

"Okey, dokey Mayor. We'll do our best!" Natsu assures them.

"Thank you. All of you. The stronghold is somewhere over there. I forgot exactly where since my memory isn't what it used to be."

So with that, the mayor and people give their good lucks and the four Fairy Tail mages depart into the darkness. Heading into what they all though was going to be an exciting adventure indeed.

If only they knew what awaited them.

* * *

 **With that, I end this chapter of our tale. It was rather long and not having a manuscript to follow along with my love for writing took a lot of time. Though in hindsight, I see that the timing of this could not come sooner seeing that our dragon mag has his thoughts on a certain scarlet. With today being valentines could this mean something? That is for you to find out fellow readers.**

 **So it ends for now, but my work continues. As always, you are free to praise criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit. Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale.  
**


	5. Chapter 5 - Unknown Enemy

**Unforgivable...Just...Unforgivable. 6 months without an update... I should just die...Yeah, just like Reaper says... DIE... DIE...DIE... But since I'm not dead yet I'll continue the story.**

 **Depressing tendencies aside, I must truly apologize for not posting in such a span of time. The last chapter took quite a lot from me (15,000 plus words would drain the life out of anybody that and your manuscripts being stolen) and it was a while before I could find that "rhythm"again. I do however, intend to continue this tale for you curious bunch and/or people still reading this.**

 **Also, during these months I have developed a new system this particular tale that should in theory increase both the volume and speed of which new chapters are written. This will continue for an undisclosed period and I would kindly ask your criticisms on the system.**

 **I may also, from this point, add new tales different from Fairy Tail as a "break of sorts" and to keep you occupied.**

 **But oh dear, I have kept you hear for too long. Please, relax your mind as I present to you for your theatrical pleasure the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium encounter.**

 **P.S A penny for your thoughts in the comments would be nice. Please? :D**

* * *

Having been given the general direction as to the location of the bandit encampment, Natsu happily marched on towards the prospect of battle while the others followed behind and discussed the more than strange turn of events.

"Tch! How many more hills do we keep to keep climbing?" shouted Gray in frustration as he climbed for what he felt was the millionth hill in a row.

With the clear starry sky above, the hills would give anyone a memorable gaze upon their celestial beauty but for the Fioren mages it only gave tiring leg muscles.

"I don't know, but my legs are killing me " complained Lucy.

"Hoy Natsu, do you see anything yet?"

"Nope! But I'm getting more excited to get there!" he replied, exhilaration and energy oozing from every word.

"Well, at least he's having fun"

"To an idiot, anything is fun" Gray replied back, just loud enough for only Lucy to hear.

"Well, that's true" she replied back, a small relief coming to both of them in the form of a giggle.

Their friends lacking wits aside, they were still far from the fires of any battle while the cold, nightly wind continued to pass them by and the maze of trees took them in deeper into its grasp.

* * *

At the heart of this maze of bark and bush stood tall a crude wall built from whatever the forest would offer. Within its protection, tents of varying size and shape stood safe from the hazards of the jungle and with it the merry band of misfits that our mages sought. Some drank to their hearts content, others sharpened their weapons, some were practicing their combat skills, while most were just having fun in their own way.

In all this hustle and bustle, stood what all would acknowledge was the largest tent and if RPG experience is to be believed this tent belonged to none other than the big boss himself.

Now seeing as this was the big boss's tent, it would be of no surprise that any comings and goings from this tent would cause some sort of commotion within the small community of bandits and on this night it did from a man who came flying out of the entrance and crashing down unto the earth.

"Hey, what about our share of the festival loot?!" he screamed before his answer came by means of multiple air pockets exploding around him.

"GYYYYYYAAAAAHHHHH!My eyes! My ears! Arrrrrggghhh!" was his only reply before he ran off into a direction away from the tent. Fortunately or unfortunately for him, his fellow comrades bore witness to his miserable state.

"Tch, poor Mez. Looks like he got the short end of the stick…. Again"

"Yeah, but at least he's got the guts to even go into that place. Gotta give him credit there"

"That makes it …..four up to date"

"Four?! What kind of guy can cast more than one spell?!"

"The bigger question is, what's a guy like that doing all the way out here?"

"I miss the old boss"

"Yeah, Berkso may have been a hothead but at least he looked out for us "

"And he paid well"

"Haha, yeah that too"

As news spread to the rest of the stronghold and the merry band of misfits discussed their less then merry state, inside this tent what the moon was able to reveal through the openings it found were four figures draped in shadow with one of them admiring his work.

"Croikey, I sure made him wallop off eh mates? "

"Yah. Dat puny man stood no chance"

"Uhu, uhu, uhu I like loud booming noise"

"Nyeah, that one starting to get annoying. Well have to keep driving the nail in and if not we whack him"

"Anytime mate"

"Nyeah, now when will that blasted Lacrima be ready? I can't stand this place any longer. Blasted bugs everywhere!"

"Yah, forgive me. I tried all solutions I know und it von't light up"

"Tch, what makes things worse is that this contact lacrima isn't working. If we don't reach him soon, well be sleeping with the fis-" before he could finish his reference, the presumably dumb one among them crashed into him while chasing a moth.

The handheld crystalline structure fell to earth and from its demise came hundreds of shards that each shone the beautiful moonlight that was able to seep in the tent before that short moment of splendor ended with the shard falling to the grounds embrace.

" Nyeah! Look what you made me do you moron, that was important! Now' we're out here to dry!"

"Well, whadaya have to say for yourself?"

His companion only looks at him distantly and pays no heeds to the fury directed at him.

"Hey pea brain! You just broke our primary means of communication! It will take hours or even days to chip out another communications lacrima and even then we have to properly enchant it!"

"No use getting mad at that one mate. He doesn't even get what the lacrima does other than that it's the glowy rock" says one of them.

"Glowy rock?" was apparently the trigger word that finally brought realization to his vacuum of a mind.

"Nyea. Glowy rock. You broke glowy rock. Now we can't talk to boss anymore"

"Glowy rock broke?"

"Nyeah, glowy rock is sleeping with the fishes now"

"Uh uh, glowy rock not broke"

"You got kelp for brains? It's in a million pieces on the floor like it's nobody's business "

"Uh uh, not glowy rock. This glowy rock"

A few slurps and other weird sounds coming from his mouth later, a lacrima crystal is drooled out of his mouth…. The things I've seen…. Um… the crystal is gently let down to earth by and ungodly long tongue…okay…. That from every inch of it's being ozzed a thick, white, sticky liquid which slowly followed the call of gravity and embraced the crystal's from, seeping into every crevice it could find on…By the gods, why do they show this to me?

Moreover, why am I still typing this?! *Sigh*… Well, 30,000 + words in so there's no bloody way in heaven or hell I'm turning tail now!

As the grotesque liquid eventually slipped unto the floor with some still clinging on, a combination of disgust, bewilderment, and fascination arose from the face of the angry bandit.

"That… should never be seen by any human eye"

It was a while before his brain could properly function again and it was after that he realized the situation in full.

"Wait, you had the crystal all along?! Then what the omerta was I carrying all this time?! "

"Pet Rock. I kept glowy rock safe"

"Kept safe But, why would-"

Just as he had recovered, his brain began to short circuit again when it tried to decipher the intent of an idiot. Not wanting to cause it anymore distress he reluctantly picked up the lacrima crystal and made it touch the larger one.

As the two crystalline structures came into contact, light spread forth to both of them as if coming to life with the smaller of the two singing a hum to announce its resurrection.

"Nyeah, that's more like it. Now let's see how deep in the hole we are"

The crystal starts to flicker and before long, the serene hum was replaced by a voice that was far from pleased.

"Hoy! Pickup dammit! I know you're all there! So help me I will char your remains if you don't answer NOW!"

"Geez! For a guy all the way back home, he sure can yell…." He thinks to himself before gathering his composure to speak to him.

"Nyeah , we can hear you now boss"

"Do you have ANY idea how many times I've been trying to contact you on this DAMN THING?! "

"Well…. You see boss… we got-"

"I don't give two didly jacks about what you got!"

"Did he just say didly, mate?" whispers one of them.

A quick shhh was presented as an answer as the rambling continued.

"First you don't pick up, then you come all complaining! Do you know how much damn trouble you've caused me?! I swear these Inquisitoria's and their freakin' questions! "

"Look boss, before you continue- "

"You had one job dammit and unless that's what you're trying to-"

"But boss, it really is"

"Yah boss man, it took a vhile but we got puny men to help " with him emphasizing the puny part with his muscular arms.

"You telling me that you spent all this time getting midgets?!"

"I think what this bloke is trying to say is that we got ourselves a little armed assistance "

"Mercenaries? You were hiring mercenaries?" asked the voice as the anger was starting to subside.

"Even better mate, a whole bandit camp"

"Bandits eh? How much did you promise them?"

"Nothing. We just had to 'whack' a few instead. Worked well enough to keep them out of our 'business' so far "

"Tch, looks like no charring today. Dammit! I'm so hyped right now!"

"Nyeah boss, how's everything else coming along?"

"Worry about your own damn front, but if you really MUST know then everything's all peachy"

"Yah. I can't vait to crush some puny heads again" the cracking of his knuckles echoing through the darkness of the tent.

"More punchies, more punchies" as he slammed the ground

"Pipe down you psychos, you'll get you chance" the voice replied.

"Nyeah, so boss about our-" the voice on the crystal interrupted him before he could finish.

"Look, I freakin' told you that I can't spare anymore. You're not the only ones there and since he's in charge this time I can't do jack" the emphasize on the he clear in his voice and one of which everyone seemed to have understood.

"Ugh, so what now boss?"

"Just don't die before you finish your jobs. Oh and keep those bandits in line, might make for a good meat shield" he concludes as the crystal loses i's glow and returns the men to the mercy of the illuminating moon.

"Tch, easy for you to say boss. You don't have scouts as a hit squad"

The crystal instantly lights up again with the voice questioning him.

"What did you say, punk?"

"Nyeah! I mean…. Um…. Oh I have to say, that trout we ate was…. fun to work with…in my….mouth?"

"Hmph. Yeah that's what I thought" he ends as the crystal dies down again.

The man, before making any other remarks, makes sure to put the crystal back into his coat.

"Geez, it's like he wire-tapped everything"

"At least you didn't kick the didgery doo mate" says another, a teasing tone apparent in his voice.

"Shut it boomerang boy and help me with this giant hunk of rock"

"Hey, boomerangs are effective weapons of war! Don't go croikn' up their rep!"

"Nyeah, I'll croik you up if you don't help me with this hunk of crystal here. Come one, we're behind schedule"

As their attention converged upon the giant crystalline, our gaze is returned to our fellow magi in their continuous wander within the maze of the mountains heart.

* * *

"Hoooooyyy, Natsu. Do you see anything yet?" the ache of her thighs manifesting in her plea.

"*Humming* I'm sorry Lucy, what was that?" he replied as the joy seemed to not drain from him in any way.

"She was asking if you see anything that is not a tree" replied Gray, his sarcasm mixing with his exhaustion sprinkled with a little irritation.

"I see bushes and twigs"

"That's not what she meant you moron"

"Shut it popsicle! It's not like you know "

"Newsflash, I do and so does Pantherlilly"

"…..What's your point?"

"My point is that we're completely lost because of you! "

"It's not like you're doing anything!"

"Hmmm, does tracking the terrain and seeing the same tree almost a million times in a row not count as doing anything? Geez, I must be a lazy bum huh?" he replied with sarcasm oozing from every crack of that comeback.

"Heh? So you're a tree hugger now? I expected as much from you"

"That makes like no sense! Where the hell did you get that?!"

"Well if you love to whine about trees so much it would make sense!"

"I'm not whining about the trees, I'm whining about you walking us in damn circles!"

"I'll circle your face into that stump tree hugger !"

"Go ahead! I bet you're goanna lose your way to that too!"

The two continued to spit out comebacks and mindless banter while Lucy and Pantherlilly decided to rest and leave them be.

"Ugh, we're getting nowhere! It's a good thing it's night, otherwise I'd be sweating like a pig" Lucy says as her bum makes contact with the soft grass

"Sweating is good for your body Lucy. You should really try it" casually replies Pantherlilly.

"Hey, I work out too you know"

"Really? I mean you always look large no matter where I look at you from and I'm a midget most of the time"

…. Dang Pantherlilly….

Felling his honesty impale her heart like a spear piercing the heavens, she mustered all the restraint and respect she had for the feline warrior and with great difficulty diverted the conversation back to the more pressing matter.

"Well…. Ignoring that… Gray's right. We're still lost and Natsu isn't going to be of much help unless it involves punching things"

"I'm not so sure of that"

The dissenting opinion caught her attention. I mean, sure, Natsu may be able to lend out a surprise here and there but generally he was good at one thing: beating the ever living hell out of those who harmed his nakama (two if you include his exponential density).

"What do you mean Pantherlilly?"

"Well, Natsu was raised by a dragon right?"

"Yes"

"And since Natsu eats fire, we can safely assume that his dragon preyed on it"

"So…"

"So that means that it's his natural prey"

"And?"

"And that would mean that he could naturally sense it. Just like exceeds could naturally sense birds or fish since it's our natural prey, couldn't Natsu do the same?"

"I'm still not seeing your point…"

"What I'm trying to say is maybe he could hunt down the fire and it may lead us to the bandit den just as hunting fish would lead you to water that you can drink"

"I think that only works for animals like cats….."

"Well, do you have a better idea?"

Her human intellect unable to render any useful suggestion other than blame Natsu and herself for the matter for letting him lead the way in the first place, she caved to her feline friends reasoning and called out to the two twats still fighting.

"Hoy, Natsu. Can you sense fire?"

The two stop their tussle with Gray being the first to respond.

"What good would that do?"

"Well, according to Pantherlilly if he could hunt down the fire it could lead us to the bandits just like 'hunting a fish would lead to water' or something like that" she replied.

"I think that only works for cats"

"That's what I said"

He thought about it for a moment before asking the mage in question whom he had pinned to the ground.

"Hey Natsu, can you do what she said?"

"Hmmmm, I think I can" he replied as Gray let go of his hold.

The pink haired mage quickly dusted himself off and started to take a whiff of the air around him, his nostrils trying to capture even the faintest hint of immolating wood.

"Hey Lucy, do you really think this could work?" whispered the ice mage to the blonde's ear.

"Let's hope so. It's getting harder to keep my eyes open "

It was man's natural instinct to lay in slumber when the sun retreats to the west and even the strongest of us all eventually falls without the sweet kiss of sleep.

Even for a lazy magus like Lucy, exhaustion would one way or another creep up on her.

"Wait, what did you just say ?"

Indeed, sleep was a worthy adversary for any challenger be it one with the stature of Gray or the questionable utility of Lucy.

"Questionable utility?! Excuse me, I'm a valuable member of this team!"

But they had a job to do and as members of Fairy Tail it was their duty to-

"HEY! I'm talking to you! Who are you calling questionable utility and lazy?! "

*sigh* Hey, stop breaking the fourth wall, I'm trying to write a story here.

"Oh I'm sorry that I stopped you from telling LIES! I'm such a horrible person!"

Lies? Madam you know what I'm saying is the gospel truth.

"Gospel truth my blonde, rich stereotype! I am a vital component to this whole shounen story! "

Hmmmm, lets see… No strategy when your spirits fight for you, no weapon (you can't use that whip of yours for jack even if your life depended on it),and saved by Natsu EVERY TIME . I'm sorry did they change the description of useful?

"At least I'm doing something! When was the last time you posted a new chapter anyway? 6 months ago?! I'm sorry, did they change the description of lazy? "

You know if you put half as much effort as you did in that comeback, you would actually be useful.

"Just as much effort as you don into writing these things?"

Effort be damned if reality gets in the way. Something I'll make YOU will deal with right now.

"And how exactly are you going to do that?"

Simple, like this.

As Lucy was griped with madness in her vain attempt to argue with the air, Gray and Pantherlilly did their best and ignored her crazed antics until Natsu finally caught the scent.

"Oi, I can smell it. Delicious fire here I come!" said the Fire mage as he dashed off like the wind.

"Hey Lucy, stop talking to the sky and catch up. Natsu found the scent" as the two tried their best to follow.

"Why you sly ,little…"

Her madness giving way to the realization that with every passing moment, she was separated from her friends in a bug infested forest filled with carnivorous predators, she mustered all her strength to follow them through the brush.

"This isn't over"

The once winding maze of bush and bark that held our magus captive within its heart now fell before the dragon mage as the path he blazed in search for his elemental prey left its walls shattered.

But even at their blitz pace, it was some time before the mountain surrendered the treasure that they sought: the bandit encampment. Well, technically they found a wall made from thick wooden pikes but enough RPG games will teach you that this is a bandit camp and you know it.

Having been fully indulged into the scent of the chase, Natsu did not notice such a wall in front of him until he met it in full force. However, being as thick as he is, the only harm brought was to his focus and to the wall.

"Hey, what the?! When did this wall get here?! " he said as he gets up from the ground.

"It got there when you hit it" said Gray as he and the others seemed to finally catch up.

Crude in construction, but defensive in purpose here was no doubt in their minds that they indeed found the camp.

"Well…. We found it. So, what now?" asks Pantherlilly.

Ever the feisty one, Natus gave his immediate answer.

"Simple, we charge in and take all them down!"

He clashed his fists and they ignited just like his excitement for the upcoming battle. Even Gray, who had more sense in one cell than Natsu had in his entire body, followed the Salamder's lead by commanding the ice to embrace his arms in the form of blades.

Being the more hardened and tempered of the lot, Pantherlilly dispatched his wisdom from the countless wars and battles under his belt while serving the kingdom.

"If there's one thing the Edolas army taught me, it's to never just charge in for its sake alone. That's the definition of high risk"

"Pantherlilly is right. After all, didn't the mayor say not to harm then too much? Going in spells primed isn't going to help that " supported Lucy as she remembered the promise they made to the mayor

Hearing the words of caution when his heart was pumped and ready did not sit well with Natsu "AW COME ON! I'M SO FIRED UP RIGHT NOW! I WANNA FIGHT SOMEBODY! "

"Shhhh! Keep your voice down candle head! Besides Pantherlilly and Lucy have a point, we have to be smart about this" was Gray's reply to his fire counterpart. Though he admittedly wanted to bonk some heads as much as Natsu, he possessed the greater tactical awareness… at least in comparison.

"Uuuuuuuggggghhhh! When are we going to fight?! Seriously I feel like I'm going to explode!" his frustration continued to manifest in him whining up until Pantherlilly heard people approaching their direction.

"Everyone, Hide!"

They all jump into the nearby bushes just as two bandits arrive from the corner.

"I think it was right here" one of them said.

"Damn, something bumped into the wall. Must have been those damned monsters again."

"Are you sure you heard voices and not some beastly scream?" asked the other.

"Heck yeah I'm sure. One of them sounded like obnoxious whining"

This ticked Natsu off a bit, but he let them continue.

"Just like your girlfriend?"

"Ha! Nah. It was a lot tamer compared to her. Dude I may love her, but when her voice starts to pitch it's like it wants to kill me or something"

"Speaking of killing, did you hear what happened to Mez?"

"Yeah, poor sucker. Gotta give him credit though, I mean I'd never go near that tent especially after what happened to Mark and his lot"

"Yeah, rest their souls that lot and did you also hear that another spell was used?"

"Another one?! That's' like four or something. How can someone know four spells?!"

"More importantly, what's someone like that doing all the way out here?"

"I don't know man, but as long as long as he keeps me breathing I don't think about it too much"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Welp, better report this in"

"Yeah, I can't wait to get back to tent"

"What are your plans?"

"A game or five of 'The Vanguard' for that sweet, juicy, curvy piece of delicious roasted hide"

"Is that game even any good?"

"Yup. It's fast paced and the charter art is amazing. But sometimes the card speaks to you or something"

"Speaks? As in-"

The two bandits continue to walk away until the coast is clear.

"Well, that was….. informative" said Pantherlilly as he felt better about knowing his enemy.

"A guy who could use four spells and by the sound of things he seems brutal" hearing the strength of this 'boss' made her really concerned but for the two elemental mages it only strengthened their resolve.

"Oh yeah, this guy sounds like a challenge! I was waiting for this trip to be worth it!" said Natsu all excited and pumped.

"Well, now that we have some idea about our opponent I say we do what we came here for " Gray was excited as well.

"Hold on, if what those guys said was true then we still have to be careful" though they know knew their enemy they still didn't know enough to win this half of the battle.

"Aw, COME ON! I WANNA FIGHT ALREADY!" every protest to his battle lust further served to enrage Natsu even more.

"Tch, well what else should we do then?" though Gray did recognize the importance of not charging in like a fool (basically doing a Natsu) he too was starting to get annoyed as was evident in his reply to the Exceed.

"Though I suggest we conduct further reconnaissance, Natsu's right. We won't be able to do it from here. I say we infiltrate the encampment and gather intel from until we find this 'boss' " spoken like a true tactician.

After thinking it over a bit, Gray and Lucy exchange looks before nodding in agreement to Pantherlilly's plans.

"Okay. We have a plan, now let's get to it" he spreads his wings and first carries Lucy over the barricade.

"Hoy Natsu, are you ready for this?" Gray asked.

"Oh yeah, finally doing something. I'm all fired up now!" was his reply.

* * *

Having been carried oh so covertly over the barrier, the team with just as much covertness made their way throughout the camp. Swerving through the makeshift homes, they finally find a high-ish spot from which they could see a large portion of the camp.

"Wah, this place is larger than I thought! So many places to fight!" Natus was basically drooling as he would over food. He wanted a fight, but seeing all this was like a feast.

"Hmmm, bigger than I anticipated. They seem to be well supplied and well organized" to Pantherlilly's trained eye, however, Natsu's battle feast posed a strategic challenge.

"How many do you think are there?" Gray's sensibilities kicked and though he was just as excited as Natsu, he had more brains to see a situation through.

"More than enough to swarm us in a minuet" was the Exceeds evaluation.

"What should we do then?" since Lucy was in this

"Simple Lucy, what we came here to do"

Natsu raised one arm into the air and excitedly declared

"We take them all on!"

A few seconds of silence past before Pantherlilly breaks it win an inquiry.

"Gray-dono, I've been in many battles and fought many wars. I know firsthand that men like him are usually the first to die. Can you tell me how he's survived this long? "

"Honestly, how this idiot survives I have no clue. Maybe because he was raised by a dragon? " letting out a tired sigh, he long gave up on finding what made Natsu tick and even when giving his all failed to his dragon instinct during the metal dragon incident.

"Idiots have their ways I guess" Lucy said in agreement with the ice mage.

"SHUT UP! Besides, I was doing something important!" was the fire mages only reply.

"And what exactly is that lizard boy?" Gray's reply was as cold as ever and he suspected Natsu to make another stupid comeback about his ice tutelage.

"I was looking for the bandit leader's tent so I could fight him" Gray was expecting such a headstrong answer and was about to reply but was stopped when he heard Pantherlilly.

"Hmm, actually that IS a good idea"

"Why would that be a good idea?" Gray asked.

"Well, since fighting them all would be too risky and we can't withdraw taking out their command structure would be the only viable option. That way, they should all fall into anarchy. As they say in war: 'Cut the head of the snake so the body would wither ' "

"Uh, you want us to straight for the big, strong, crazy spell guy? That sounds more like suicide than a plan" normally, Lucy would be right.

"That's why speed is key. The faster we do this, the faster we get out alive and accomplish the request"

"I agree with Pantherlilly. It would also keep with our promise with the mayor "

Lucy recalled such a promise not too long ago and eventually agreed with the ice mage.

"So we're going after the big guy first?! Now you're talking Pantherlilly! Oh I wish Happy was here to with me "

The prospects of fighting someone strong exciting him, Natsu and the others resume their covert search in the dead of night for the mysterious bandit leader.

Through the shadows and under the gaze of the moon, our mages (and exceed) prodded for the whereabouts of this "boss".

To their surprise, the encampment gave the atmosphere of a rural town. It may have been filled with bandits, but as they saw them talking, working, smiting, brawling, drinking, and interacting they were reminded even for a second that they were still human….. that had a price on their head and when there are bills to pay humanity be damned.

The search continues until Lucy spots something in the corner of her eye.

"Huh, what's that?"

She decides to take a closer look and sees a lone bandit being picked on by a large group of people. It took her a while, but she realized that the ones picking on him looked... different. Their weapons looked simple yet exotic and brutish and their armor a higher quality compared to the armor she's seen in the camp so far.

"I told you guys I'm busy. Can't you see that?"

"Don't be like that, it's just another call of service from your new boss" the one talking had a sort of arrogant tone to him and his companions who were with him were snickering at the poor fellow's state.

"Yeah, well the new boss will have to wait. My ear is still ringing and I'm seeing double" replied the bandit.

"Don't be a wuss and just do it already" said another.

"If it's so important to the new boss, then why don't you do it?"

"Well you see, we're so tired from doing our duties and such so we're asking you poor locals for your hospitality and help us. After all, people can only do so much " said another one.

Hearing the term "new boss" mentioned over and over made her even more curious. Could this new boss be the cause of everything? She listened further.

"Tired? Yes, I'd be tired too if all I did was sit around all day and guard that boss of yours"

"Watch it local, the only reason we didn't purify your camp on sight is because the heads told us you were useful and ordered us not to kill you"

"Yeah, we could destroy this rag tag camp of yours in no time" chimed another.

While Lucy was listening, shocked that she might have been caught she looks back and upon investigation she saw it to be Natsu with the others.

"Hey Lucy, whatcha' looking at?"

"Geez Natsu, don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, so what did you find?"

"Look"

They all look and see the harassed bandit.

"What's going on around here?" asks Pantherlilly.

"Oh those guys are just are just bullying that guy into doing work for them"

"Why is that so important?" Gray asks.

"Sssshhhh, listen closely"

"I know what the new boss could do. It's you lackeys that I have serious doubts with" the bandit says.

"Hey, were not lackeys. We're highly trained, deadly professional operatives sent to work behind enemy lines" one of them resorts.

"Yeah, the only one I see dangerous here is the new boss and he barely leaves the tent "

"Who's this new boss they keep talking about?" Gray noticed the reference too which made him curious.

"I don't know, but I think it's connected to what the villagers told us" she concluded.

"Hmmm…..now I see. Especially with those guys around, it's starting to make sense" though he didn't have enough information, Pantherlilly's military experience kicked in and he quickly formed a hypothesis as to what was going on.

"Make sense….. how ?" asked Natsu.

While still in the shadows and the bandits still talking, they all turned their attention to the former general as he illustrated the result of his thoughts.

"Okay, so the villagers set up a protective system that worked for them. Now that system not only worked, but it worked for a long time which means it was successful, unconventional as it may seem. The system continues until something new enters it and causes a disruption. That disruption, as with all disruptions, has now damaged that system with unbeneficial consequences and it's up to us to return it to equilibrium "

When he finally looked on his human companions, confusion was painted on all their faces. It took him a second to realize that they didn't understand what he was talking about and so he summarized his point into a simpler form.

"Uhh...how do I put his…I think beating the boss and the guys who don't look like bandits will fix things?"

Upon hearing this simpler explanation, they all answered with a resounding "Ohhhhhhh"

"Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" asked Lucy.

"I did…."

"So all we have to do is to not fight the guys who look stronger right?" asked Natsu.

"Maybe. It's still a guess based on what we know now so I think we should do a bit more reconnaissance"

"I think you're right, but what about this guy?" Lucy pointer back to the lone , surrounded bandit and the group then again listened to the conversation.

"Why doesn't the new boss leave the tent anyway? What is he afraid of the outside or something?" the bandit asked.

"That's none of your business you poor local"

"Wouldn't be poor if your boss wasn't so cheap"

"What did you say you filthy local?" the crowd began to get more hostile but the bandit looked like he didn't care.

"I said the new boss is a cheapskate and if he actually gave us anything worth jack then maybe everyone in the camp wouldn't be so -"

He never got to finish his sentence for his face was met with a warhammer to the face. As the bandit fell to the floor, a smirk came out on the face of the one who struck him.

"Tch, apparently this guy doesn't know the value of life. Guys, let's teach him not to be greedy"

The group then start beating him up while he's down all the while taunting him on his inferiority.

"Now that's just cruel" Lucy couldn't the sight. Being hurt in a fight is one thing, but kicking someone when he's down and unable to fight is just…

"Well… yeah…. But…"Gray was feeling conflicted to the sight. On the one hand, it was hard to watch but on the other hand they were going to beat them up anyway.

"It's hard to watch, but every battle has its casualties and we have to remember he's part of the enemy. Come on, we still have to do some rec – Hey, Natsu what are you doing?!"

Not tolerating such a sight, Natsu unwisely charged head long into the group and scattered them away from the beaten bandit.

"Gurk… wh-who….what the….?" was all the words he could muster to his mysterious savior before falling unconscious.

A quick look back at the poor man he just saved, the dragon mage burning with a sense of justice proudly and defiantly looked at the one who ordered such an atrocity.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size"

It would be a few moments before he realized what had happened and called out to the interloper.

"Hey, who the hell are you?!"

"Just someone who couldn't watch you beat up another person like that"

The rest, being tougher than they look, slowly recovered and faced their attacker.

"Tch, okay who did that?"

"Eh, what's this punk doing here?"

"Oi, look what you did to my armor! You're so gonna pay!"

"Hey guys, I don't remember seeing him in the camp"

"What does it matter? All these locals look the same!"

"Did one of them finally break? Ooohh, I can't wait to break him for real!"

As more comments came forth, the ringleader arrogantly looked back at the interloper.

"Heh, I don't know who you think you are but you've just made a big mistake coming out here alone"

"Hmph, I'll be more than enough for the likes of you" Natsu was rather confident in his ability and such confidence did not sit well with the ringleader's ego.

He gave the order to attack and they all swarmed him at once.

Now the first two or three were easily disposed of and Natsu thought "Huh, no big deal after all"

But then something unexpected happened.

It suddenly got harder, they suddenly got harder.

The attacks were beginning to be more coordinated, their execution swift, their tactics well-rehearsed, and their strikes having more power.

One was able to strike his ribs. He flinched, but just as he retaliated one swung his spear and slightly cut his cheeks. He wiped it and fire punched the guy and he fell back. Natsu then noticed that one guy way about to strike his solar plexus but he was able to block it with both his hands just in time.

Just as he looked up however, the ringleader slammed the hammer directly to his face.

Natsu , staggered from the attack he never saw coming, instinctively created distance. He was disoriented, but thanks to his training and build he regained his focus quickly and spat out a little blood.

He looked at his opponents and though he was in pain he gave them what was unexpected, a smile.

"Tougher than thought. Now things are getting interesting"

He licked the little blood on his lips and got into a more offensive stance.

The fire burning on his fists, it was round 2 and he quickly went for the closest guy (coincidently, it was the one who got him with the spear). This time, surprise shifted her side to the dragon slayer as none of them expected him to utilize magic.

The spear guy fell and Natsu continued his attack flow with a Dragon Talon sweep kick which tripped one guy and made him fall into another.

Natsu then launched two fire projectiles from his hands that got two more of them. It didn't harm them, but it was enough of a distraction for him to launch a Fire Dragon roar on the ringleader.

On his instinct, he blocked it with his warhammer which took the full brunt of the force. After the smoke cleared, he let down his hammer which was just when Natsu charged it with a Fire Dragon punch to his face.

Not wanting to be outdone, he quickly reversed his grip on the hammer and slammed the face of his opponent from beneath.

They both staggered back and this time it was Natsu who drew blood from the ringleaders blood. He noticed it dripping from his mouth but instead of spitting it out like his counterpart did, he decided to swallow it and savor one of the many flavors of battle.

"Not bad kid. I still don't know who the flaming balls you are, but after I kill you I'm gonna enjoy murdering a few of your bandit friends"

He gets a tight grip on his warhamer and says an enchantment that makes it radiate with extreme heat.

Natsu was stunned for a moment and his opponent saw it. He quickly capitalized and swung it down towards his head. Natsu dodged at the last second and the hammer instead met the ground. To Natsu's surprise, the ground melted as the ringleader pulled out his hammer.

"What, did you think you're the only one who knew how to play with fire? "

He swings again barely missing every strike but even so Natsu could feel the heat radiating from it. With each time he spends dodging, more of the ringleaders companions start to comeback and use their offensive magic as well.

Natsu fights them all, splitting his attention from one foe to another until he lapses and the ringleader readies a strike to his head. Just as the hammer falls, a thick barrier of ice forms but starts to melt almost instantly.

The distraction gave Natsu enough time to fall back and see that his friends have finally come out of hiding.

"Tch, took you guys long enough"

"What's the matter Mr. I'll be more than enough for the likes of you, bit off more than you could chew?" it was rare for him to see Natsu clearly need help, end even as he prepared his ice magic for battle he couldn't pass the opportunity to taunt him about it.

"Shut up, I could've fought them. Besides they're really tough"

"Hmph, I'd say above average" blades of ice formed on his arm and he prepared his offensive stance.

"Really Natsu, must you always charge head on into everything?" Lucy didn't want to come out of hiding but she didn't want to see her friend being battered either.

As expected, she summoned a Celestial Spirit to her side and who else but her default Leo.

"Good evening Lucy-sama, you're looking good as always"

"Yeah yeah, hey listen I need your help with this battle"

"Anytime Lucy-sama"

The spirit readies for battle with Panterlilly being the last to ready his weapon.

"Natsu, you just gave away our element of surprise for an enemy"

"He was being hurt bad, besides didn't you say we needed to fight them?" he gave his excuse with a side dish of his goofy smile.

"*sigh* Honestly, how did you survive this long?" it really was a mystery but he had no time to think on it for if they finish the fight quick enough the they could do some damage control and potentially return to the shadows.

"Come on boys, let's show these locals some real arcane power!"

"Everyone, let's end this as quickly as possible. Remember, we're severely outnumbered" said Pantherlilly.

With heads held high and magic ready, they charged. Might and magic clash in a barrage of blows, near misses, and explosive fury. A skirmish indeed worth telling of in every detail but would be more justified in a visual anime format and since I have none of that at the moment let's just skip to the end shall we?

"Phew, that was fun " the tired mage rested his legs on his arms and tried to catch his breath.

"Hmmm, I'll have to change my expectations of above average from now on" though they emerged the victor his few bruises were a testament to the enemy's resilience.

"Are you alright, Lucy-sama?"

"Mhm, thanks a lot Leo"

"No, thank you Lucy-sama for the great workout and now that things are quite how about you and me go - "

"That's enough of that, pretty boy" knowing what he was going to say for the millionth time she sent him back to the spirit realm. Still, Leo's "outings" rarely if ever got old…

"That took longer than expected. Come on guys, let's head back to cover before more of them come oh and Natsu bring him along. We need the information " the Exceed points to the bandit he broke their cover for.

"Sure thing" the fire mage flings him over his shoulder and they all return back into hiding.

After having found a good hiding spot, they lay down their burden and await his return to consciousness. Time passes and lo and behold, he awakens.

His vision is at first a blur and his thoughts in shambles, but it all eventually clears and his first sight was seeing the pink haired mage that saved him.

"Grk, you dead too?"

"Huh? Why would I be dead?"

"You sure? I mean I wouldn't be caught dead with that hair color"

"Do you want me to make you unconscious again?" he irritatingly replied as he lit up his fist.

"Nope, I'm good" he quickly gets up despite a small pain in his abdomen and he realizes that he isn't alone.

"Let me guess, you're his friends?"

"Yes, but that's not important right now. What we need right now is what you know" they still haven't been found out, but the camp was probably in high alert so speed was even more of the essence.

"Patherlilly, give the man some space. He was being beat up not too long ago and now' he's being interrogated by strangers. Give him a little time" Lucy suggested.

"We don't have time thanks to Natsu" he replied.

"Well, yes but that idiots mistakes shouldn't mean other people should suffer"

"Eheheh , sorry about that. Let's start over. I'm Lucy , the cat is Pantherlilly, the guy with the stripper complex is Gray and lastly the one who saved you is Natsu"

"Huh, I've never heard those names before. Name's Mez. Did you just move in to the village?"

"Well, no. We were hired and- "

"Hired?... Hired as in really hired?! Huh….. Hahahahah , guess that old man's plan actually worked"

He started to laugh, a laugh that was mixed with both mockery and relief.

"Ahahah, finally! We can fix this whole mess and get back to our lives! Oh, I can't wait to tell the others "

Seeing him excited was quite a surprise for our mages and as such warranted their curiosity (more specifically Gray whose questions rattled unrelentingly in his head since he arrived)

"Why are you so excited about this?"

"Huh?" Mez asked.

"Why are you so excited about helping? Aren't you a bandit? Don't you guys just pillage and raid without a care? And isn't the village just a toy to you since you abuse them so?"

"Didn't the old man tell you anything?"

"He gave us the entire background and from what I saw at the festival I know I'm right about the last part "

Mez didn't give an immediate reply as he had trouble processing Grays words. It didn't take long, but he figured out what he meant.

"Heh, then I guess the old man didn't tell you everything after all. I can't blame him though"

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"Did you ever think as to where they got all those jewels for such a ridiculous reward? "

"Well they're pretty rich considering their tourist status and- wait, how do you know about the reward? " asked Lucy. Now that she thought about it, the mayor never mentioned showing the reward to the bandits so how did he know it was "ridiculous"?

"So they could steal it obviously" was Gray's cold reply.

"Oh nothing so crude Sir Stripper Complex. But surprise , surprise we gave to that reward too"

….

"…Huh?" was all they could say

"Do I have to spell it for you? I said we contributed to the fund that was supposed to go into taking us out "

…..

"That's a load of hoeky!" screamed Natsu.

"Who the hell says hoekey?!" retorted the bandit.

"I agree with Natsu, that has to be a lie" considering the unusualness/absurdity of such a claim, it was only natural that one such as Panterlilly would doubt.

"It's no lie. Ask anyone in this camp and they'll tell you the same thing: to every man and woman their charge half of what they have . Most from our personal stash, some from selling their valuables in far off shops, and some from robbing some poor sobs far from here " like a bandit he proudly proclaimed their feats and robberies of travelers as it was second nature.

"But… why? Why invest so much?" the exceed asked.

"Why? Well, here's a secret: I came from that village…technically"

"THAT'S EVEN MORE HOKEY!" was their reply.

"Nobody says that dammit!"

"*ahem* Anyway, it's true. I'm a third generation bandit and you can even ask my dear old parents when they get back on their 'road trip' "

Not wanting to know what a bandit does on a road trip (probably loot some poor fools), they inquire further.

"But wait, that still doesn't explain why everyone else chipped in" Lucy asked.

"Hmph, well here's another secret: There are two types of people in this encampment. One are migrant generations and the other genuine settlers. Both heavily armed, both veterans, both primed and ready "

The last word caught Pantherlilly's attention.

"What do you mean primed and ready?"

It was late in the encampment and where most should've been in slumber, all were forced to awaken from the calls of their current overlords for a search.

* * *

"Now listen up! Someone had the guts to gang up no one of our men and surprisingly got away! Now while we attend to them, you locals patrol the camp and bring them to the boss! " one of them shouted.

"Don't you know what time it is?!" one of crankily asked.

"Don't you know I can kill you without trying?" he angrily replied back.

"What do they even look like?" another asked.

"That's your problem, not mine. Now get out of there and patrol!"

Knowing exactly what they were capable of, they begrudgingly went on patrol and passed the message along.

As the whole camp began to look for an interloper they had almost no information about and took every opportunity to complain about it, one of the bandits on patrol was taken behind one of the tents.

"Shhhhhh, be quiet !"

Upon further inspection, the bandit found his snatcher to be none other than Mez.

"Mez? Is that you? What the hell man let me go!" the bandit said.

"I said shhhhhhhhhhhhh! Do you want them to find all of us!"

"Us? Who the hell are us?!"

Mez pointed over to our fellow mages behind him.

"Ummm, dude… What's with the civies?"

"We're not civies!" Natsu replied back.

"He's right, they're more than that "

"You're not making any sense man….."

"They're the key to fixing this whole mess"

"Fixing…..Wait, you don't mean THAT…."

"Yeah, I mean THAT"

"Are you sure dude? Are you sure these guys are up to the job?"

"Positive. They're the ones who took down those guys after all "

"Huh?! Are you serious?! They're the reason why we're out this late at night and why I saw some of them so beat up ? "

"Why do you sound so excited? Last I checked, you do NOT like being awake at night "

"Normally, yeah. But man, I wish you were there to see them. They were all scrambling and I think they were scared"

"Tch! I wish I was there, sadly I was unconscious"

"Why were you unconscious?"

"Uh ….. never mind that. Look, just spread the word. Tell everyone, that the raven has left the writing desk "

"*snicker* That code name is still stupid"

"That's what you get when people vote"

"Seriously man, are you reaaalllyyy sure? I mean, we might not get another chance. Remember what they did to Mark ad Berkso? I mean, I actually want to be buried whole "

"I know…. but going down fighting is better than suffering like this"

The other bandit thinks it over and seeing that his companion was dead serious, then he finally agreed.

"Alright man, I guess we had to do it one of these days. I'll tell the rest"

"Yeah, see you there"

"Hmph, now I know I'm not getting any sleep tonight"

He casually walks off to begin the spark of insurrection.

"Hey Mez, what did he mean by 'I want to be buried whole' " asked Gray.

"Well….. let's just say…. These guys love making some sick decorations with a hint of red"

They all felt a chill crawl down their spine as he said that, a tinge of fear emanating from his voice. They decided not to ask further and diverted their attention to what was about to happen.

"So….. what exactly happens 'when a raven has left the writing desk' ? " the exceed asked.

Mez then explained to them that it was actually resistance plans talked about between the members of the encampment, how they planned to drive out their enemy, and how they were going to burn down the whole encampment with all of them in it as a last resort.

After discussing a few key problems with the plan along with potential corrections with Panterlilly, Mez and the Fairy Tail crew prepared for a night of rebellion the likes of which the heart of the mountain has never laid witness too.

As the seeds of unrest began to sow, our ominous figures finished their mysterious deed. Their reward the crystal, humming its tune of renewed life.

"Golley that was a rush. I'm all tuckered out" he says as he massages his hands to relax them.

"Aching… pain….need….*snore*" was all the other could manage before quickly falling asleep.

"Whew, I gotta say that was a tough job"

"Yah, but it vas good for ze bunz und thighs"

"Nyeah, you can keep your buns und thighs. I want to rest mine"

He falls on one of the comfortable couches that they got after "evicting" the previous boss. HE had to admit, local or not, it was comfortable. Though he could not tell what materials were on the inside, he immediately recognized the material covering it.

"Now where the meatballs did he get baby gryphon feathers? I thought those were illegal. Eh never mind, it's still comfy"

Silence takes the stage as the three rest in their own ways while the other flexes his muscles. The part, however, did not last long for the spotlight shone on a different actor and his entrance was marked by a loud BOOM!

"Woah, what the Joey?"

"Nyeah, what's the deal I'm sleepin' here!"

One of them was unaffected by the noise and continued snoring on the floor.

"Oi, get up mate!" he kicks him in the fanny which wakes him up.

"*yawn* Why wakey?"

"Wakey because something is happening. Now get your bum up from the floor mate"

"So I can safely say that we all heard that?"

"Yah I heard it too"

"Well let's high tail it outside and see what's going on "

"Hold it there. Rule one of the garbage business: the boss does the job from secrecy. That's what the soldiers are for. Let one of them come along if it's so important, we've got ourselves this big hunk of rock to look after"

No sooner has he said that when one of their own came in basically panicking.

"It's bad boss. It's rebellion!"

"Where?"

"Everywhere!"

"Every puny man is rebelling? Hmph, it vas about time"

"Croikey, looks like we do get to have some fun after all!"

"Smash heads! Smash heads! Smash heads! "

"Hold your bets boys. As much as I would love to whack a few locals for not letting me sleep, we're gonna have to report this in"

He pulls out the Lacrima he had earlier and after calling upon the enchantments, he got hold of his superior once again.

"Can't a guy get some damn peace and quiet- who is this?!"

"Hey boss, it's me. We've got ourselves a… situation"

Back outside, anarchy paraded through the whole encampment. From small pockets of intense fighting between the numerically superior bandits and their above average enemy to the wounded being carried and/or crawling, to magical attacks and arrows exchanged with the clash of steel below, and with the fairy Tail mages leading the charge.

All the while fire spreading its dance and with its glow and fury spreading by the minuet in the background. The parade of anarchy and the spirit of rebellion was in full display.

"Alright! Now this is what I'm talking about! Come get me you punks!" finally having the fight he craving for, Natsu fully immersed with reckless abandon in every punch, kick, and blast against his enemies.

Though their worth as a fighting force was already proven earlier when he fought some of them alone, they became easier to manage thanks in part to the numerical advantage that the bandits provided. The dragon slayer even saw impressive martial skill among them.

For Gray, he slowly started to gain respect for these bandits as he saw them defending their homes and aiding each other. He was reminded that they like he were human too. This respect was increased by fighting beside them and helping (somewhat) to stop the fire's with his ice magic.

Lucy was , surprisingly, fighting as well. Though not as well as her male companions, with her whip and Libra summoned to her side taking most of the force her engagements were going well.

Pantherlilly was in his muscular form and by far was the more impressive fighter. Both in form and In execution, he along with Mez cut down all those who stood in his way. All the while, his military sense was acting up and though he fought he also strategically advised.

"You three, support the offense over there! You, tell anybody who still has arrows to continue firing! Somebody go and get all the injured to the front gates! "

"I'm on it" one of them says.

"Good, you five, help him!"

"Come on boys, you wanna live forever?!"

"Hell yeah!" they all respond as they all go off to help their injured comrades.

"Everyone, fight on! Drive them to the center!" Pantherlilly screamed from the top of his lungs.

All who heard gave a shouted benediction. This was their home, their place, their lot in life. They would be damned if they didn't try to reclaim it.

Seconds felt like hours and the inches felt like miles, but the plan worked more so thanks to Pantherlilly's strategic insight. They reached the center of the encampment where as expected the remaining enemies formed a tight battle line to protect their boss.

"There's still so many of them" commented one bandit.

"And a helluva lot more of us" said another.

Standing strong leading them was the man that the Fairy Tail crew defeated earlier with the mages leading the bandits.

They stared down each other. On one side, the bandits though having lost a good number of their own still outnumbered their enemy. On the other, their enemy was in tight formation. Their weapons and armor giving the feel and look of on armed fortress thanks to the flames raging around them.

Both were tired and both were not about to give ground so freely. This was going to end here, one way or another.

"Everyone, TAKE THEM DOWN!" screamed Panterlilly as they all charged head on towards their common foe.

"Aw yeah, I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

"Ice Make: Claymore!"

"Together Libra!"

"Yes, milady!"

"All right you maggots, keep them here for as long as possible and HOLD YOUR DAMN GROUND!" was his response before the waves of both man and conviction clashed in epic glory and honorable glory.

Swords, magic, armor, skill, fire, honor. A melee worthy of any bard's song and that would, no matter what, be indeed spoken of for generations to come. The bravery of men, magic, and buff talking cat man etching their memory in the mountains heart.

Natsu was the first to reach the tent and without thinking unleashed a Roar of the Fire Dragon on it. The fabric turned to ash and gently flew away with the breeze. He stepped into the tent, flames ready for whatever foe he may find and fight but he would get none.

The tent was…..empty. Not only of a living soul, but of riches and anything noteworthy of value. He was confused. What was the meaning of this? Why were they fighting over basically nothing? Nobody fought that hard over nothing.

"Hey…um…Panterlilly?" he shouted outside.

"What is it Natsu? Did you find him?"

"No, there's nobody in here!"

"Stop joking around Natsu!" Gray screamed.

"I'm not joking popsicle head, there really is nobody in here!"

"Eh? How does that happen?! Did you disintegrate him or something?! " asked Lucy.

"No, it wasn't even that strong!"

Seeing his friend was yelling the truth confused Panterlilly. It didn't make sense. Why was there nobody in the tent? How could this have all been organized if nobody was there? Why would someone with that much power just disappear in thin air? Why were these people fighting so hard? Did they know they were abandoned? Nothing was making any sense.

As he battled both with his foe and with the new information at hand, he felt someone's hand touch his shoulder and he instinctively turned. Ready to slash, he only stopped when he saw that it was a bandit.

"What, didn't I send you to deal with the wounded?"

"Yes, but I came here to tell you something important"

"What is it?"

"You see, when I was bringing in some wounded I saw someone leaving the back of the boss's tent. He was carrying some large lowing thing on his back and when I left and came back for some more wounded I saw that when you started fighting here he reached the mouth of the cave where all the monsters come from and it looked like he went in"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, pretty sure"

If what he was saying was true, then know he knew why the tent was empty. However it still didn't make any sense as to why the leader was going the cave.

"Where's the cave?"

"Come with me, I'll show you"

"Alright. NATSU, GRAY, LUCY disengage and follow me. this guy knows where the leader is!"

"But what about out these guys?" shouted Natsu before he dodges a strike from the ringleader of earlier.

"YOU! This time, I'm gonna finish you off Pinky! HAIYAHAAHHH!"

He swung again his molten hammer and Natsu prepared to block with his flaming fists, but the strike was interrupted by Mez.

"You guys go and do what you came here for!"

"What about you?" asked Natsu.

"Don't worry, I've got a score to settle with this guy "

Natsu nodded and he headed off with his friends towards the cave.

"Hmph, now let's see how tough you really are without your gang to cover you!" said Mez .

"Good for nothing local!" was the ringleaders reply as they both charged to meet each other in glorious combat.

* * *

The bandit lead them through the hole in the wall apparently made by the fleeing leader and lead them up a path towards the cave. It wailed a ghastly wail as wind blew from the inside. Stalactites coming from the ceiling ad illuminated by the moon gave the impression of sharp teeth. An inky void as far as they could see and the skeleton of a man holding a keep out sign at the caves mouth finished the look.

"Brrrrrr, this cave gives me the creeps" said Lucy.

"Are you sure he went in here?" Pantherlilly asked. They couldn't afford any stebacks now since the battle was still ongoing.

"Yeah, I'm sure he went in here"

"Why do you think he went in here of all places?" Gray pondered aloud.

"I don't know, but listen I have to get back and help more of the wounded. Here, take these torches"

"No need" said Natsu as he ignited his fist.

"Alright, good luck guys" said the bandit before he ran back to the camp.

As he disappeared from view, the gang looked into the cave again. If this was where all the monsters were coming from, then it was bound to be one infested hole. They were reconsidering about being swarmed especially underground but they had a job to accomplish.

They've gone this far, might as well finish it.

Natsu was the first to enter, his light guiding the way through the void. At first, the path was rough as expected but then it got smoother. As they went deeper into the cave, they saw what was definitely man made equipment. Old swords, armor, pieces of wood, but most mortifying was that some of them still had their previous owners to them. Bones, cobwebs and all.

They pressed on, giving silent veneration for those who gave such a sacrifice. They came upon a winding path and when they reached the bottom they saw a faint light. They came closer and peeked from the corner.

What they could see was a large lacrima crystal off in the distance being put into a hole. The light emanating from it gave form to not just one person but four though only their shadows could be seen.

"Ae you seeing what I'm seeing?" asked Natsu.

"No doubt about it" Gray replied.

"That is one large Lacrima crystal" said Lucy.

"And those must be the guys we're looking for. It's starting to make sense, the stories, the powers but what are they doing down here? " said Pantherlilly.

They all continued to observe as they could hear talking of sorts but were too far to make it out clearly.

All the while, Libra was there and she told Lucy about a bug on her shoulder. Being the girl that she is, she squeaked as she saw the insect crawling on her shoulder and hastily swiped it off as the group told her to shhhhh!. She then kicked a nearby rock which along with her squeak caused even more noise.

After calming her down (Libra holding down her mouth until she did), they looked back and saw that the four men had disappeared.

They looked around and after being convinced that they were gone, they approached the hole. They only made it half way before hearing a loud clap like thunder.

A wave/sphere of air presumably coming from the noise, came at Natsu. He dodged ad upon contact with the ground made an even louder BOOM! And sent bits of ground scattering everywhere.

"What the?!" was all he could say before rocks that could only be described as slimy and flaming came after Gray. He instinctively created an ice shield, but as the rocks made contact they exploded and the slime that got on the shield brought with it the fire. Gray detached his ice creation as he watched it slowly melt and mix with the slime.

No sooner had that happened when multiple pockets of air formed around Lucy. Sensing danger, Libra pushed her away just as the small pockets exploded around her.

"Libra!"

"It's okay Mistress, I'm *cough* fine"

"Heeeeeyyyyy! Show yourselves! Fight us cowards!" Natsu shouts, looking at every corner of the chasm for their mysterious attacker. He spots a shadow move from the corner of his eye and launches a fireball at it. The shadow dodges and Natsu launches more fireballs in order to catch it.

All his attacks, however, miss their mark. The shadow then launches a whip towards the Dragon Slayer. Natsu catches it with ease, but he hears what could be a snicker and sees a light travels down the whip. Before Natsu fully realizes it, the light reaches the end and it explodes in amazing fashion and it was possibly the loudest one yet.

The shockwave was so strong that it knocked Natsu back up to the wall and cracked the wall.

"Argh!" he fell to his knees disoriented.

As Gray and Pantherlilly prepare their own attacks, a loud… screech?…. roar?…. I think a mixture of both….. echoed throughout the cave.

It stopped all in their tracks and then, came a dead silence. No echoes, no watter drops, no wind.

Nothing.

The eerie silence continued until the crack on the wall grew bigger and bigger. What came out of that crack was a grotesque creature. Small inn stature but repulsive in every way.

"What the hell are you?" Gray said.

The creature stares at them for a few seconds, eyeing their form as if making sure they were human. Once it was satisfied, it let out a little howl that, on cue, called forth others of its kind.

From every crevice, every dark spot, and even from the ground itself more of its kind came pouring in like the biblical flood.

The shadow figure says something to one of his companions and with a loud clap launches another air sphere near the crystal. The dirt from the ground collapses in on it, effectively burying it. Quickly the figure then brings out a lacrima crystal and after a few moments it illuminates them all, quickly revealing their shadowy forms and just as quickly…gone.

Gray could swear that the one with the whip was smirking at them just before they were gone.

Our mages are left amazed as to what just happened, but quickly shift their focus to the oncoming horde.

With Natsu having been disoriented, exhaustion having claimed most of their strength, and the hordes starting to block their path they all came to the consensus to withdraw. Grabbing Natsu by the arm, Gray created an Ice Blade on his other arm.

"Ice Form: Blade! You owe me for this one Lizard Boy!"

"Think you can go further, Libra?"

"Anything for you, Mistress"

"I still think I can last in this form long enough"

With that said, they all summoned what ounce of strength they had left and began to fight their way through the horde all the while the howling/roaring sound echoing from in the caves.

Their knees feeling like they could fall apart any minuet, Pahtherlilly saw the entrance of the cave.

"Guys, I can see it. We're almost there!"

With one last shout, they push themselves and jump out of the cave. They collapse, exhausted and out of breath. A monster caught Gray in the leg and just as it was pulling him back in with its bug like claw Natsu came in and stomped on it so hard it detached from the creature.

"There you go Ice princess, now we're even".

He looks back inside the cave and gathering all his strength lets out a large "ROAR OF THE FIRE DRAGON!" It catches a few hundred monsters and turns them to cave starts to collapse and with all his strength he does a "Fire Dragon Talons!" on the cave entrance.

The rocks fall and slowly but surely the mouth is sealed and the mountain claims it. Having exhausted all his strength, Natsu collapses as well.

"HAHAHAHAH! Now that was an adventure!"

They all give a weary laugh as the moon continued to bear silent witness to it all.

* * *

Day breaks the night's silent witness and and bears witness to our mages back at the village and waiting for the train.

"Hohoho, I can never tell you how much we will forever be grateful to you"

"It really is no problem Mayor, honest" said Natsu.

"We were just doing our jobs" Gray cooly replied.

"Well, this town will forever remember your names and you will always be welcome here. Oh and , I believe this belongs to you"

He hands her a golden key which puts a large smile on her face.

"Are you serious Mayor?I mean, I already got the huge reward"

"Oh consider it an extra for your efforts"

"Oh thank you so much Mayor. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!"

She gives him a big hug.

"Hohoho, come back anytime dear. It's always there for you"

"So what happens now Mez?" Panterlilly asked.

"Well, we'll have to rebuild the entire encampment. Most of the tents burned down but the villagers agreed to help. It was time for a renovation anyway. There's also the wounded and the matter of who'll be the new boss. Some say it's me, but I doubt it "

"There's still one thing I don't get though" said Natsu.

"What's that?" the bandit asked.

"Who were those people that attacked you? "

"Yes, they seemed highly trained and well equipped " Patherlilly has fought various campaign on edolas that he could tell a military like force from a rag-tag group of raiders.

"We don't know either, just as we were fighting them and just as I was about to get the guy with the molten hammer, their armor lit up and they all just… vanished. No weapons, no bodies, nothing. It's like they were never here"

It was the same thing that happened to the four shadow figures back inside the cave. The exceed couldn't shake this feeling of….. Well, they were gone so maybe it was just him.

The train pulls in the station and the Fairy Tail mages board.

"Hohoho, merry journey everyone and to all a good life!" the mayor shouted

"Come back soon!" shouted Mez.

The Fairy Tail gang all wave goodbye until they cross the horizon and go on to the rest of their lives.

…..

"Well, that takes care of our problems" the mayor said after the mages were no longer within view.

"Yeah, I didn't think that bunch was crazy enough to actually go IN the cave let alone seal it" says Mez.

"Do you think they really …you know…."

"Hmph, I'm sure they saw the bones but I don't think they realized who they were "

"So they didn't…" the mayors voice was tired, as if he heard that answer a million times before.

"Of course not. I said I didn't expect them to be that crazy, but we've tried many times before with a lot more manpower and equipment, the farthest we could reach was the middle hive. I doubt they and our little visitors even went beyond the top hive"

"But why did they go in there anyway and what's this about a large lacrima crystal? "

"I don't know. But the one thing I do know is that they were lucky they only heard her. Maybe she wasn't hungry that night? "

"What does she look like?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know"

"Okay…..How long do you think we have?"

"I would say a year tops"

"Why just a year?"

"Like I said, previous excursions reached the middle hive. We tried barricading, burning, burying you name it. That only seemed to slow them down and at our worst to them we only bought about 3 years "

"Seeing the way they sealed the cave and the rate she lays more of those things, I would definitely say a year before they claw themselves out. They'll never stop until she's dead" the bandit concludes

"Hohoho, well we better get to work then" his tone a little more tired than usual.

"Yeah, it'll be nice to sleep on a soft bed this time"

"Hohoho, make sure you boys are nice at the next festival! You don't have an excuse to be too rowdy anymore"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to keep them in line Gramps"

They both then head back and with heads held up and the sun smiling upon them, they begin to rebuild their homes and hopefully their lives…. for now.

Deep beneath their feet, a monster rest and makes more of her brood while the crystal in the dark faithfully hums its enigmatic tune.

* * *

 **And with that, this act has come to an end. The system aforementioned shall be implemented on the next chapter which impeding anything reality has to throw shall be ready for the next act coming very shortly. I thank you my dear audience for your time. Oh and do leave a comment if you can.**

 **Fell free to praise, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit and until our next tale my dear audience, Farewell.**


	6. Chapter 6 - The Invasion Begins Part 1

**WolfGaming chapter 6 . 8h ago**

 **Pretty good chapter. Perfect chapter length, too. Hope to see some actual romance soon, too!**

 **-You really think so (regarding the length)? That's always been an issue for me as a writer since my love for words always seem to veil the concept of time altogether and I get rather lost. But I give you my gratitude for being the second person to give your helpful input  
**

 **Good day my fellow audience and I present to you the labor of the new writing system for this specific tale . I must say that I am rater impressed as to the efficiency of the time and the quality of the words. Though there are admittedly still a few... okay some... alright a LOT of kinks to work out at east the time "problem" is starting to be fixed.**

 **But oh, I have yet again rambled on. Please ready yourselves. relax your mind, and please enjoy the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium Encounter**

 ***Just a note, it was supposed to be Virgo not Libra that Lucy summoned in the previous chapter. How THAT got past final cuts I will never know XD and oh please don't forget to leave a comment.  
**

* * *

It was once said that when a man was traveling on a train, he asked when his location would arrive. A question as strange as his hair and mustache, Lucy laid witness to the landscape as it appears to drag itself to where Lucy wishes to be. Coming like an angels kiss at twilight and just as quickly gone for the next.

Three days had come and gone and two things were on her mind: the first was on Lantrum. The whole job, now that she had time she thought about how surreal it all was. It seemed like a plot of a book: Mystery, Suspense, Action, Drama, and a little of horror.

In fact, she was going to write it down and make a story out of it with her personal experience adding a bit of flavor. A good story must be told and who says a profit can't come along? Her publisher was going to love this.

The second was how Natsu was able to keep his food down these past few days. If there was a vehicle and Natsu was on it, then you could gamble all you want you'll always beet the house so long as you bet on him regurgitating. Well, at least he was unconscious and relative quiet ruled their section of the cart.

Now that would constitute a mystery book all on its own, though she wasn't going to get to it anytime soon.

Gray was playing a strategic game provided by the train services with Panterlilly and was doing well…. for the first few games. The ice mage would scratch his head, scream the occasional CHEATER! every now and then with Panterlilly explaining the strategy, and sometimes this would sometimes culminate in the ice mage trying to rip all the hair he could from his head (and strangely the hair held strong).

Lucy would chuckle here and there because she found it rather cute. Yeah it was also cute when Natsu does it too but more of in a specific way. For Gray, it was just cute.

"All passengers next stop is Magnolia, please ready your luggage. All passengers next stop is Magnolia, please ready your luggage. All passengers next stop is Magnolia, please ready your luggage " was what broke the monotonous scene as it echoed through all the cabins.

Lucy broke her gaze with the landscape and stood up to reach for her luggage. Gray, after a final attack that was again countered by Pantherlilly, helped the Exceed clean up the game and they too reached for their luggage.

Lucy opened her bag to check for her belongings for what could have been the millionth time. After all, can't have perverts taking stuff from a beautiful woman right?

... What? That's what she's thinking I'm just writing it down.

She brings out her clothes, checks her lotion, her books and most importantly her fat share of the loot that the Mayor insisted to the point of pleading that she keep.

Her certainty in the security of her monetary possession satisfied, she then proceeded to inspect and return all her other belongings. Just as she unfolded and then refolded her last shirt, a spiral column of black reaching for the heavens caught the coroner of her eye.

She lets down her garb for a clearer look. The trees passing by her at full speed, acted as a curtain hiding the performance but not the sound that lie behind it or the shadows that tease.

When the last tree finally gave way and the curtain fell, what Lucy saw dumbfounded her.

She couldn't believe her eyes, no she refused to believe her eyes. There was no bloody way that this was happening. This had to be a dream, she must have fallen asleep and the nightmare realm must have come for her dreams.

Yes, that must have been it. It has to be it.

Not wanting to bear witness the play any longer, she shut her eyes only until only the clanking of machine parts traveling at high speeds was all that remained. She started to count down.

Three…. She took a deep breath. She was indeed alive.

Two….She clenched her fists. The feeling of the nails biting in to her skin…. Yes, she was conscious.

One…..She shut her eyes as tight as she could. The blood rushing to her head… She was now awake for sure. It always worked, why wouldn't it now?

The veil of darkness slowly lifted, but it brought not the hope she was longing for. Instead, it cruelly showed her more. Far more and far worse.

"No way….Gray, come here" she said.

Still annoyed from the game with Pantherlilly, he wasn't fully focused and when he heard her call him out he dropped his luggage on his foot.

""Grk, Ow my foot!"

He massages it for a few seconds before coming to her.

"So, what is it?"

Still unable to believe what she was seeing, her hand conveyed what her mouth could not.

The ice mage obeyed , ignorantly joining the blonde's in shock and awe.

Meanwhile the exceed, having not heard so much as a peep from his young human fiends, noticed his friends standing by the window.

"Hey, you two have been quiet for quite some time. What's wrong?"

He was given no answer and decided to get it himself. He climbed on the window and the moment he did he couldn't believe his eyes.

What shocked them so was the sight of Magnolia in its entirety falling apart. Fire was rapidly claiming parts of the city, their size and ferocity mimicking that of a living swarm. Pillars of black ash rose up on high, as if death's fingers itself was reaching from the abyss to claim the mortal city.

What stood out though, was not the destruction but what loomed by the port. Though it was far, the three could still see it in detail a testament to their size.

What looked like two fortresses hovered by the docks, bearing silent witness to the mayhem. It was similar to the ship Master Hades was in when they fought the dark mage on Tenroujima not too long ago yet there were distinctions.

The first looked too heavy to fly. It was bulky, strong, had thick armor plating, fire was blazing from its top crown, a few very pronounced spikes, and what looked like a battering ram (and actual ram head now that I take a closer look at it) with a for lack of a better term flaming inside on its front. It glowed red hot like magma in some areas and wherever fire could escape it did and blazed with a passionate fury. It's bottom propelling flame like a rocket.

If there was a clear definition for a fortress, then this would be it. Intimidation was its mark on our mages.

The other was rather peculiar. Its design was covered with an overall ebony black. It shape was smoother, it had more pronounced curves and by far was more elegant. What looked like giant blades protruded from it, some curved some straight. Blood red lines ran through the ship, the black emphasizing their glow. Its armor was more elegantly placed, with some exception it followed the curvy contour of the vessel and very rarely deviated from the slick design. Unlike its counterpart, it hovered with an eerie silence and whereas one blazed with a fury, this one looked like it bled the crimson color in the form of smoke. They could swear it was surrounding it.

Where one was a fortress, this vessel was malignancy incarnate. It was like staring on someone…on…some…thing. An otherworldly evil that they could not explain but one that struck fear into their very core.

As the train curved, they could see their fellow passengers looking out as well. Some in fascination, others with concern.

As they continued to watch, the flaming fortress seemed to notice them. It turned ever so slowly to face them. Some of its armor started to give way, revealing….. something.

None of them could answer as to what it was, but it was not long before they all saw something bright come right at them from the fortress.

Everything seemed to slow down, Lucy could see the feathers of a bird as it hastily tries to fly away, she noticed a squirrel running down a tree, and she saw that all the faces of those looking out of the train were now united in fear.

That was the last thing Lucy remembered before everything faded into black.

* * *

As Lucy fell into the void, a …. I think it's a howl?…. I'm gonna say howl….. howl of joy echoed within the flaming fortress.

"Oooooooohhhhhhh yeeeeaaaahhh! That was boom boom boom-tastic! Ready the next volley, I'm gonna hit that fancy building next!"

Another voice came up just as he commanded more destruction.

"What part of 'Don't use the giant cannons of death' didn't you understand?" the voice, though cold and controlled, had a bit of annoyance to its ring.

"Awww come on! This is virgin ground here. We have to make a good impression" the voice playfully said.

"And if your 'impressions' activate the Emergency Dimension Runes and forced you to withdraw? It's happened so many times already "

"Don't worry, I'm loaded with power this time. Besides, I'd never take out our own…. Well, at least not on purpose. It's their fault for getting in the way"

"With that kind of talk it's no wonder you're the Purifier"

"You gotta admit though, that was cool. I've been working on it myself"

"*sigh* Yes, I must admit it was impressive. Look, just don't aim anything else at the city, we need it intact"

"Yes, dad. I'll make sure not to destroy the toys " the voice replied mockingly.

* * *

It was quiet. All Lucy could hear was her breath.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale.

All she could see was darkness for miles on end. Where was she... what happened? The last thing she remembered was being on the train. She looked out the window and then….

Her head hurt. She slowly opened her eyes. Everything was a blur. Then it became triple, then double until finally her vision lined up and she could see clearly.

The first thing she felt when returning to full consciousness was pain all over her body.

"What on earth…."

It was like being on fire… she fought through it but she couldn't stand. It was then that she noticed that the reason why she felt like on fire was that everything around her WAS on fire.

"Damn, I have to get out of here"

She was starting to feel her legs again, but no matter how hard she tried they wouldn't obey her command. She dragged herself as much as she could while calling out to Gray, Pantherlilly, and Natsu.

She stared to worry, what if they were…. they were….No, they couldn't be. She had to keep trying.

With every call, she got no response. Hopelessness started to sink in. She gave out one last call and still got no answer.

That was it. She wasn't sure how much longer it would take for her legs to kick in and with everything burning around her she was vulnerable.

She tried her left leg…. no good. She tried her right leg….. yes, she could feel it completely now. She slowly stood up and just as she did something behind her exploded.

She turned her head and saw a burning piece of the train come at her.

Instinctively, she covered her face awaiting the impact but it never came. Instead, it was none other than Natsu holding the piece with both his hands.

"Woah, that was close. Are you hurt Lucy?" he asked as he gave her his trademark grin.

"What took you so long" she happily replied.

"Sorry, I was helping Gray and Pantherlilly save other people"

He consumed the flames as was his instinct and casually tossed the piece aside.

"Hey Gray, I've found her!" he yells as he picks her up. He carries her through the rubble until the come upon Gray trying to put out some fires with his ice.

"Lucy! Are you okay? Are you bleeding? What happened to your leg?" Gray said with the utmost concern.

"Oh I'm alright Gray. In fact, I can feel my legs again. What about you and Panterlilly? How about the other passengers?"

She indicated to the Dragonslayer that all was okay. He let her go and she stumbled for a while. Natsu was ready to catch her but she quickly stabilized herself.

"Well, we got as many out as we could. Some of them are still helping out the others while we handle the fire" Pantherlilly told her.

"Ah, good. So um, do any of you remember what actually happened?"

"Tch, well that thing took a shot at us but it missed. Still, I glad not to be that"

Lucy looked to where Gray was pointing. Her jaw basically unhinged as she saw a huge chunk of the mountain behind them just….. gone, as if a giant came and bit it off. She was amazed as to the power of such a blast and relieved that it missed them.

"No way, it came from….Wait the city, we have to get in there! The guild might be in trouble!"

"Don't worry Lucy, this is the last flaming part of the wreckage. Once we deal with this, the others passengers will take care of the rest. Natsu? " said the ice mage.

On cue, Natsu took a deep breath. The flames rose up in a beautiful, spiral dance and converged their performance into the gaping maw of the dragonslayer.

Having had his fill and convinced that all was stable our heroes charged off into the city.

* * *

The smell of ash bombarded their noses as with each step they came closer to the city. Some parts of the city had burned itself out, while others were still raging on. The sounds of crumbling buildings and clashing steel became even more intense and when they finally reached the city's outskirt it was all a bloody wreck.

Buildings have been charred, masonry spread and fallen, items that were of precious value to other people lay scattered throughout the streets .

As they entered the city, it only got worse. Carts were overturned, food everywhere, a little stuffed bunny sat on the floor left all alone but bearing silent witness to the horror that occurred. Lucy picked it up and hugged it tight, then carried it with her.

Among all this ruin, however, a banner of Magnolia though torn was still waved strong as if to declare the indomitable spirit of its people even in the face of danger. Sadly it stood alone and convinced no one as our heroes looked upon it.

"What happened here?" Natsu's words resonated with all of them. Their home… their town….. what was going on? Who… what was responsible? Who would destroy all they hold dear? Not only that, where was everybody?

Confusion and uncertainty froze them in place, the silence being broken by what they thought were footsteps in the distance.

As they turned to look, they saw that it was some members of the local garrison. They were badly bruised, bleeding, and overall carried the look of men who were beaten both in spirit and body (mostly in body).

"Oh no, more of them!" one of them said as he painstakingly tried to lift his spear.

"No… wait….Look" one with a bandage over his eye said as he pointed to the emblem on Natsu's arm.

"That's… are you folks from Fairy Tail?" one holding a makeshift crutch asked.

Natsu nodded his head and one despite the pain fell to his knees in relief.

"Oh thank the king! Listen, you have to help us!"

"Why, what happened? What's going on? Who did that to you?" having been the first human contact in the city, Gray wanted answers.

"It all happened so fast….We didn't see them coming…. Out of nowhere…. Destroyed the barracks….Sank all the ships…. Some burned alive…. Can't… kill…. Any of them" said one garrisonner as he collapsed all traumatized on the floor.

"Wait, didn't see who? What do you mean destroyed and can't kill? Are you talking about those flying ships? What are you talking about?!" none of it made sense. What had this garrisoner so terrified?

As he lay there mumbling nonsense, one garrisoner on the back started to panic even more.

"OH NO! IT'S THEM!"

"Please, you have to hide us! THEY'RE COMING!" one of them begged.

"Wha- What's coming?" Lucy asked.

"Look, there!" said Panterlily.

Not too far of at the end of the street, they all saw what frightened them so. Men clad in armor wielding large weapons were coming right at them. Their footsteps were heavy and their armor made them look huge.

"There they are!" one of them shouted.

It was not long before they caught up to their helpless prey but also came into contact with our heroes.

"Hmph, thought you could get away eh? Well, what kind of person are you to leave your fellow comrades in arms like that?" he jeered. Now that they got a closer look, he was a rather tall and imposing fellow. Was it the armor or was he just naturally that tall?

"Yeah, talk about being a coward" the other mocked.

"You haven't fought a battle yet have ya greenhorns?"

"Don't worry, we'll make sure you're all done medium rare!"

As the rest continued to fling their jeers and threats at the pathetic men and watched them squirm, one of them finally paid heed to our heroes.

"Well, well, well who do we have here?"

"Who are you people and did you do all of this?" Natsu asked menacingly.

"Woah, we got a tough guy here"

"I said, who are you?" Natsu asked again as he ignited his fist. His anger was flaring up by the second and it reflected in his flames intensity.

"Who we are is none of your business and no, I'm not the only one to create such beautiful destruction. Am I right men?!" he said.

"Yeah!" they all answered.

"So, what business do you have on in these here parts? You don't look like easy prey…..I mean civilians"

Natsu didn't answer, only readied himself for combat. He didn't know why, but he felt that these men were responsible for destroying the city. As he stood there blazing , one of them noticed his insignia.

"Hey look, it's that mark. You know, the one that guild has!"

"So you folks are from that guild eh? Well, looks like I'm gonna have me some sweet revenge!"

"Ooooohh, the blonde was is pretty. I'll take her!"

"I call dibs on that guy's cloak"

"Oooohhh, a kitty. I'm gonna bring you home"

"I don't know who you guys are, but you're messing with Fairy Tail!" declared Natsu. His flames were now in full force and he was ready to break some bones.

"I'm gonna enjoy beating the answers out of you" said Gray as he took of his coat and summoned Ice blades on his arms.

"You creeps, you're gonna pay! Virgo!" said Lucy as she summoned her spirit and pulled out her whip.

"You people have a lot to answer for" was Pantherlilly's reply as he readied his giant sword.

They stared down each other while the injured garissoners cowered behind the fresh mages . All was silent, the wind quickly passing by and bringing with it a leaf.

All stood in place, only the sound of their breaths and their magic taking stage.

The wind loses its grip with the leaf. It gently starts to fall, a step here and a step there with a little twirl even.

As it concludes its performance and touches the ground, both parties spring towards each other with blinding speed.

Natsu goes for the biggest one he could see, his fists of flame clashing with the man's blazing sword. Their blows were a spectacle of fireworks bright, dazzling, and very loud.

"Eh, not bad kid but I'm, just getting started!"

"Good, because I'm starting to get all fired up!"

Gray was fending off his share with some competent…. armblademanship?... I mean, he is slashing and all but the his arms ARE the blades sooooooo…... screw it, I'll stick with it. However, his opponents were well versed with their respective weapons and were more than capable of handling his attacks. As such, he was compensating with tenacity and versatility.

Lucy was letting Virgo take all the heavy blows (obviously) while she supported from a distance.

Pantherlilly, on the other hand, had strangely not converted to his more muscular form. However what he lacked for in muscle he made up for in ferocity. With giant sword in hand, he was jumping from one opponent to another slashing, dodging, kicking, and basically being a blur (think Master Yoda from the movies).

Steel, magic, valor, rage, and fury clashed over such a small area that it would seem that nothing could stop it. All except for the earth itself starting to rumble.

Stomp!

They all stop.

Stomp!

The one fighting Natsu smirks.

Stomp!

"Heh, you're so screwed kid"

Stomp!

"What the hell it that, an earthquake?!" screamed Lucy in terror.

Stomp!

The sound was getting louder.

Stomp!

It sounded like it was just around the corner.

Stomp!

They all saw a shadow.

Stomp!

It started to grow bigger.

Stomp!

They could hear the rock floor cry out in agony as metal scrapes it.

Stomp!

It was getting really close.

Stomp!

It came out of the corner and it's sheer size and imposing figure was enough to engulf all in it's shadow

* * *

 **And with that, this performance has ended for now. To all here I again thank you for your contribution. Please do comment if you so see fit and fell free to praise criticize or mindlessly bash as you see fit.**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	7. Chapter 7 - The Invasion Begins Part 2

**WolfGaming chapter 7 . 7h ago**

 **Great chapter! Can't wait to see what the new "boss" is like. If he is as big as he seems it will be interesting to see if hes really slow and if they will have to pull a god of war. Oh, and yeah. I think the longer the chapter length the better. A lot of people just create really short chapters that would take like 2 or 3 of the chapters to make a good length'ed one.**

 **Hence the new system. I am currently observing whether this will allow for a more efficient chapter output, though I generally agree lengthy chapters are by default good chapters**

 **Greeting again Fairy tail community! I present to you the continuation of the previous chapter. The system has given results, but like before it still has MANY and I dare say MANY kinks t work out.**

 **But my struggles to bring you this story are for another time and place.** **Please ready yourselves. Relax your mind, and do enjoy the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium Encounter and do leave a comment on my work :D  
**

* * *

The Fioren mages had never seen anything like it.

It stood at least one story tall. Heavy armor cladding all parts of its body. Its head was a mixture between a rhino and a bull. Its mouth was on fire and had an angry look to it.

Its arms were nothing more than Morningstar's that dragged across the stone floor. Their screech giving a banshee a run for its money.

Its torso, though clad in armor, gave the impression of a muscular human build.

What carried such a bulk were four horse like legs short, stubby and very sturdy. Each strong enough to quake whatever ground it tread.

Now that Lucy got a good look, it reminded her of Sagittarius just more frightening.

Where shock and awe inhabited the face of our Fioren mages, confidence inhabited their opponents.

"Well look at that, the cavalry's here" said one of them.

"Wh—What IS that? " Pantherlilly had seen many things during his campaigns, but this was something new.

"*gulp* Please don't tell me we have to fight that" Lucy said all terrified.

"Oh but you will. Folks let me introduce you to the Centrion. A magical tool of destruction built and designed by our boss himself . Tough, blazing hot, and the last thing you'll ever see before we step on your ashes"

"Woah, that thing's huge" Gray was quite impressed and he couldn't help but admit that it was kinda cool.

"Hmph, now that's what I'm talking. Big, strong, and ready to tumble. Oh I am SO fired up now!" Natsu excitedly increased the flames on his fist.

"So you really want to die that badly eh? Fine by me, I could use more trophies " undeterred by their excitement to fight, the enemy charges at the Fioren mages again now with the magical war machine leading the charge.

Natsu, being the headstrong mage that he is, took the brunt of the warmachine's attack. The charge was stronger than he thought and he flew back a bit.

His friends tried to help, but were immediately occupied by their previous opponents and thus the brawl resumed.

The pink haired mage got up on his feet and again charged the monstrosity. It gave a roar and flung one of its arm at it. Natsu dodged the weapon, but the impact was so great that the ground trembled a bit. He attempted to stabilize but noticed that the monstrosity was about to swing it's other arm.

The fire mage was forced to slide out of danger, his ribs rubbing hard against the stone floor. He could not rest however, for the Centrion charged at him again and stood up to crush him beneath its feet.

He was forced to dodge again, but this time he was able to stand and unleashed a Talons of the Fire Dragon on the things behind. It succeeded, but it's price was a back kick that sent the fire mage into a wall . Its masonry and belongings falling upon the fallen Dragonslayer.

Natsu may have been hurt, but his fighting spirit was not deterred. He rose from the rubble ready for more , but so was the armored beast.

He ignited his fists and punched one of its arms as it swung it at him. However, it seemed prepared for such an attack and before Natsu noticed it had its other arm crashing into the Dragonsalyer.

"Damn, this thing is fast!" said Natus as he held spiked ball with both his hands. The Centrion then slammed its other arm into the one Natsu was holding, each blow driving the Dragonslayer deeper and deeper into the ground.

With his knees begging for release, the Dragonsalyer leaped for relief as another blow came crashing down driving one arm deep into a crater where he would've been.

He saw an opportunity and went for a Fists of the fire Dragon to the things side, only to be flung away like a mere housefly and slamming into another wall.

It freed its arm from the ground and turned to look at its opponent. Suddenly, Natsu unleashed a Roar of the Fire Dragon that impacted the monstrous machine head on.

To the fire mage's surprise, however, it seemed unfazed and even a bit angry. With a deep growl, it roared its own flames into its Morningstar's.

Its weapons, being granted a higher state of deadliness, glowed red hot like the sun and wasting no time again attacked the pink haired mage.

Natsu was not to be intimidated and he too ignited his fists. The two spent the next few minutes brawling it out. Natsu's fists would meet each swing with his own, neither willing to give any ground and neither showing any sings of giving up.

The Centrion then tried a different tactic and began to launch its own flaming projectile from its jaw while still slamming its arms at him.

Natsu was not afraid of the fire nor was he concerned too much about the red hot fists considering his nature as a fire Dragonsalyer, but it was the impact from the arms that he had to worry about. One well-placed hit and he would leave such a monstrosity for his friends to deal with and he saw that they were struggling themselves.

No, he had to fight this. He had to stand his ground, he had to win for his friends.

Drawing strength from his friends (Ahhh, the old power of friendship gimmick), Natsu instead of deflecting the blow caught it with both his arms. The Dragonslayer lost his footing but not his grip, he held onto dear life to steel ball as tight as he could even if the Centrion flung it wildly in an attempt to be rid of the human pest.

With one mighty swing, it flung him up high. Up in the air, Natsu pointed himself down and with his fire magic propelled himself down straight for its head. He landed with force and grabbed one of the beasts horns and again held on to dear life as it bucked wildly.

It swung at the pink haired mage missing him and its head by a hair. Natsu could feel the immense force behind every swing and some spikes were even scratching him.

Yet he held on, the chances of him being squashed like a bug increasing with every moment.

"Wait for it, wait for it, waaaiiitt for it….." he thought to himself. He harkened back to his early days with Igneel and recalled the tracking skills taught to him by the mighty fire dragon. With each swing, he formed a rhythm in his mind.

Swing

Swing

Swing

Swing

He watched and waited for the perfect moment to pounce on his prey.

The Centrion took another swing and it was this swing that Natsu's instinct told him to do it. He waited just a while longer and when the swing was about half way, he leaped from its head towards the weapon.

Twisting his body while in the air, he struck the Morningstar with all his might changing its trajectory to the Centrion's face.

It worked. The monstrosity staggered back, stomping with hell like fury in an attempt to stabilize itself. It could not attack and it could not pay attention, which is what Natsu was looking for.

Summoning strength from his legs, he leapt to its face again forcing his hand into its jaw. The blaze didn't bother the fire mage, in fact it acted as a relief.

Feeling good, he leveraged himself on the things chest and by force of will pried the jaw open. The metal creaked and bent a little as it fought back against the invader but eventually the Dragonslaer proved superior in that specific moment.

Natsu stared into the gaping maw and expected a man inside.

There was no mortal within the shell, but only a raging inferno that gave one a vision of hell.

He had no time to waste. Instinctively he exhaled and inhaled the inferno blazing inside the monstrosity, the spiral of flame condensing into one point in a harmonious choreography as with all the flames. Natsu expected nothing more from the display (having done it almost all his life) and waited for the flames to refresh him.

Yet something was…off. He felt the flames, they went it but… it felt weird. He filled himself and jumped away from the warmachine. His actions had an effect, though he was not able to consume all the flames the light from the Centrion was blinking. Its movement became haggard and is struggled to stand straight. It reminded him of what Canna looked like after having too many beers (Yes even the legendary Infinite Drinker could have too many beers though it was a rare occasion).

His other human opponents all noticed this, but instead of being distraught at the sight of their warmachine failing the one fighting Natsu earlier just gave a smirk.

"Heh, this should be good"

Natsu, however, was in no better shape. The fire he consumed just didn't seem to settle well. He felt like he did when he was on transportation but he knew for certain that he was on stable ground.

Something else was wrong, something….inside. Something….. trying to escape? He held his stomach and his mouth, using all the willpower he could muster to keep whatever it was from getting out.

It traveled up and down his throat and pounded at both his chest and his stomach. It wasn't painful, but it was by no means comfortable.

"What's, what's happening? Is it….. the fire?" he thought.

With every second that passed, the pounding grew in intensity throughout his neck and torso.

BAM!

BAM!

BAM!

He was unable to hold it any longer. Looking for a release and realizing that his friends were too close to the human enemy, he aimed the blast at the only other viable target: the source.

Focusing his efforts, he unleashed a Roar of the Fire Dragon back at the stumbling warmachine. Though his flame was straight and true, the foreign flame twirled around as they both impacted the metal creature.

It knocked the monstrosity back a few feet before exploding in a giant blaze. Natsu expected it to fall, to have his relief, to relish in his victory over a battle hard fought.

Yet the form of metal did not yield, it did not crumble, it did not break. It stood there defiant and burning. Nastu looked on and saw that it was not only the armor that defied him but the flame as well for it seemed to form a face.

Not just any face, but a grinning face. A face that along with the still husk mocked the Dragonslayer's attempt to break it.

Natsu could swear it was laughing at him before it seeped back into every crevice of the armor, giving it life for battle one more.

"Kekekek! Did you really think that such a simple flaw would be overlooked? I told it would be the last thing you'll ever see for a reason, kid. That thing's forged for war"

In response, the warmachine stomped with a fury showing that it was indeed ready for more.

Natsu was in trouble. Not only did he expend a tremendous amount of energy during that last attack, but thanks to that strange fire he was also feeling disoriented.

Though exhausted both physically and magically, he couldn't stop now. His friends were counting on him to bring it down and if he failed it would come for them next.

With defiant spirit and double vision, Natsu flared his fists ready for another brawl against his opponent.

He charged straight for the things head, but missed and was greeted with a shoulder slam into a wall.

Undeterred, he charged again using a Talons of the Fire Dragon on the things torso. It hit, slamming with force both its chest and the pink haired mage's back.

It staggered and Natsu fell on the floor, tasting the dirt and his mounting frustration with this thing…. and a little of blood for dramatic effect.

Just as he stood up, the monstrosity swung its arm towards the Dragonslayer. He was able to catch it, but unlike earlier he struggled to even stand on both his feet.

A hundred thoughts ran through Natsu's mind and all of them were contemplating as to how to take down the monstrosity. Each idea clashing with each other but all just as appealing.

Such chaos continued until a familiar voice brought it all to order.

"-stu, -atsu, Natsu! Hoy, Natsu! NATSU!"

Pantherlilly screaming his name caught his attention and despite the pounding he was able to answer.

"What is it? I'm kinda busy here!"

"Natsu, I think I know how to take your friend their down"

"By all means PLEASE TELL ME!"

"Okay, but we're going to have to work as a team. Virgo, I want you to collapse the ground beneath over there!"

"Do it Virgo" her blonde master commanded.

The Celestial Spirit disengages, and with a spin travels deep into the earth to perform her duty.

"Lucy use you whip to distract it to that position"

"Got it. HEY BIG TALL AND UGLY OVER HERE!" though her cracks did almost nothing it was enough to garner the beasts attention even if for just a second.

"Oh no you don't!" one of their human opponents say. They may have had no idea as to their exact plan, but they knew that they were aiming for the Centrion.

As he quickly leapt for Lucy, he redied his weapon and expected to carve flesh but what he met was Pantherlilly's blade.

"Not so fast, human. Lucy, keep distracting it! Gray, when I tell you too freeze it! I'll deal with these guys"

In a puff of smoke, his cat form gave way to an intimidating hunk looking them at the eye from an equal level.

Though intimidated, they were more afraid of invoking the wrath of their boss and when faced with the two poisons the buff, aggressive, giant, cat thing was the better choice. Period.

They all focused on him, trying their best to end the fight quickly so as to support their warmachine. Pantherlilly, however, would have none of it and called upon his superior swordsmanship.

Pantherlilly then sensed that it was time and with one mighty shout told Gray to unleash the freeze.

The Ice Mage obeyed and blasted the beast with ice. At first, the Centrion fought back but slowly it was entombed in ice at the cost of Gray collapsing from such an effort.

The Exceed then gave the signal to the Dragonsalyer and digging deep once more, propelled himself towards the Centrion like a rocket.

Its armor that was the bane of Natsu's fight finally gave way as the Dragonslayer punched through the chest taking a chunk of it with him.

He landed hard on the ground, disoriented and exhausted though glad that he finally had won. It stood there, unable to show anything from the blow.

From the hole, Natsu could see the fire still blazing strong within the frozen husk. He could see it flicker as it tried to move the massive warmachine but it would not be so for the ground beneath it started to crack.

Ina second, the earth swallowed the Centrion. As t fell within its depths a fair maiden rose from it, a bit dirty but overall fine.

"It is done master, will you punish me now?"

"Virgo! Boy I always happy to see you!" he said.

"Ah, Natsu-sama . Did I do a good job? "

"You didn't just do a good job, you did an amazing one!"

"Thank you master Natsu-sama, will you punish me now?"

The Dragonslayer stands up and whispers to her ear.

"Haha, I'll punish you all you want later! Heck, I'll do the extra special thing and be rougher than usual! "

"Oh thank you Natsu-sama! I can't wait for it!" she said all excited.

Having done her part, she was embraced in light and returned to the spirit world.

"Virgo looked pretty excited, what the hell did you whisper to my spirit?" Virgo rarely showed emotion, so seeing her THAT happy was cause for curiosity.

"Hmm? Oh don't worry about Lucy! Everything's fine!" he gave his goofy grin as a seal of trust onn that statement.

Lucy, assuming it was something stupid, decided take his answer at face value but couldn't help but couldn't get it out of the back of her mind. She'll have to investigate later.

Their temporary victory was interrupted, however, as the hole burned with a fury and the living fire shot out of it.

It hovered above our mages for a few seconds, intently looking at them before doing what looks like a roar and flying with great speed back to the fortress ship near the docks.

"Tch, you may have beaten the Centrion, but you still have us to deal with!" one of the human opponents said.

"Not exactly, Gray Ice wall here NOW!"

With lightning reflexes, the ice mage created a thick wall of ice between them and the warriors.

"Good job gray, now everyone let's get out of here!"

"But Pantherllly-" said Natsue before the Exceed interrupted him.

"Natsu, the city is in shambles, these people need medical magic, and we don't know who or what our enemy has. We have to go back to the guild and find out what on earth is going though I have a bad feeling that I may know "

Natus surprisingly agreed, and they all helped the injured gariossonners as they retreated towards the guild.

* * *

All was eerily empty on the way to the guild, almost like walking through the Twilight Zone. Neither a single enemy nor another Centrion had appeared to fight them, though the sounds of battle rang in the air from here to there.

Though they felt that they were being watched with a steely gaze, all looks over the shoulder produced just more empty and destroyed scenery. Undeterred, they made their way through the calm until they finally came to the corner of the town that held their second home.

Yet, it was not a usual reunion for what stood in their way was a large makeshift wall. Be it carts, bricks, pieces of armor, and even a few lamp posts it looked more like a pile of junk now that I take a closer look at it.

The "wall" added to their overall confusion. Not only was the city falling apart around them, but it appears that someone took all the debris and piled it up. Stranger still, it was tall enough to completely block their sight of the guild building.

"Umm…. guys? Was this always here?" asked Natsu.

"Hmm, along with the potholes and destroyed buildings then yes you just never paid attention to the tour guide. OF COURSE NOT FLAME BRAIN!" the ice mage retorted.

Natsu paid no attention to the insult and instead began to touch the walls various "components".

"Pantherlilly, any ideas?" having exchanged looks with Gray and sensing that he was just as clueless, she turned to the closest reliable source.

"Hmm… if I had to guess, I would say it's a barricade"

"What's a barricade?"

"It's a fancy term in the military for a wall used to block paths and such. Though this one is a bit…. overkill"

"Okay, so it's a wall. But why is it here?"

"Isn't it obvious, to block the way to the guild hall"

That still didn't explain why it needed to be there in the first place. She never got to finish her next question for Natsu began to punch it and almost immediately from above came down balls of fire.

They all went for cover, unable to get a clear view of their aerial bombardier other than a blur returning to the other side of the wall.

"Gray, Natsu take that thing out. Me and Lucy will protect the wounded!"

With a deep breath, they readied themselves for whatever their enemy had. Natus in particular was waiting for another fire barrage. His magic reserves were rather low and he needed a quick snackat least.

It was not long before the blur flew up high again, launching not fire but ice projectiles. Having no use for frozen water, Natsu was forced to dodge.

Seeing that it was distracted, Gray lunched an Ice Make: Cannon but to no avail. The shadow returned the favor and shot its own ice before returning behind the wall.

It returned with speed and this time reigned metal projectiles upon them. Natsu noticed that it was slightly slower, but slightly enough for him to catch it with a Roar of the Fire Dragon.

The shadow dodged, saving its center mass but too late to save its wing.

Just like that, it was over. The Shadow crashed into a building and Natsu came to inspect his fallen foe.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! That's gonna sting for a while" Natsu immediately recognized girly voice and called out to her.

"Lisanna? Lisanna is that you?" as the smoke cleared, it was as certain as the sunrise Lisanna Strauss. Childhood friend and lover-ish.

"Huh? Natsu, you're the one attacking the wall?"

"Attacking, I was just playing with it" though a large chunk of wall collapsing behind him proved only his guilt.

"Ehehe, sorry about that. Are you alright?" he helped her up and immediately inspected her arm.

"Well…. you did hit me pretty hard. I don't think I'll be able to move it for a while. You're so mean Natsu" though not as coy as her sister, she did always enjoy teasing the pink haired mage whenever she got the chance. Seeing him fluttered, confused, and worried all at once was pure gold.

"Hahah, well you'll have to make it up to me later Natsu and it better be big"

"Lisanna, oh aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" said Lucy in relief.

"Good to see you too Lucy, Gray, Pantherlilly"

"Lisanna, these men need medical magic and fast" though the reunion was nice, sentiment had to surrender to the needs of the injured.

"Oh…. right. Come is, I was going to fly you but Natsu already made a door"

They all pass through he opening and were met with their guild mates ready to strike them down.

"Everyone calm down, it's only Natsu and the gang"

"Natsu!" screamed a certain blue exceed as he raced towards his long time companion to give him a big hug.

"Happy!"

"Natsu!"

"Happy!"

"Natsu!"

Well it's about ti- I mean- They finally reached eachother and came to a brotherly embrace.

"Lucy-chan, you're still alive!"

"Levy, oh I've missed you!"

"Lucy, how was Lantrum? Was it like what I read about? Do they really have a Lantern Parade? Did you get to attend it? What was it like"

She continued to bombard her with a million questions and she struggled to fid words to describe her little adventure.

Gray just wanted to sit down, and when he did his bottom landed on something soft. He only looked to see what it was when he touched something… round. Very round. Juvia/s behind to be precise.

"Ahh, Gray-sama you're so direct!" she was enjoying every second of it.

"What the hell Juvia and when did you get ehere?!"

"I see you made it back alive. No surprise considering you're a warrior" Charles was good in controlling her emotions, though concern and relief was quite evident in her tone.

"Good to see you too Charles" was his reply as he handed the wounded garissoners off to be healed.

"Tell me, where's the master?"

"That's the thing, he isn't here. In fact, neither him nor Erza has returned yet and the green haired mage has been taking command"

"The master and Erza still aren't back? What on earth are they doing a this time and what's even going on?"

"Nobody knows. We've been holding out for three days waiting for the master or anyone from the magic council for help. We've turned the guild into a shelter for the injured but things are getting desperate "

"How desperate?"

"Let's just say….. Elfman is a real man for having the guts to give the unlucky ones a decent final resting place "

"*sigh* So it really is happening. Where's Fried?"

"Inside, treating the wounded"

With a heavy sigh, he entered the guild leaving Charles to the reconstruction of the hole in the wall.

* * *

As night fell on Magnolia, all were called to the guild hall. Though it was large, the number of people injured and looking for safety gave a testament as to the desperateness of the situation.

There was a commotion as to why they all had to be brought in and worry was starting to spread among the civilians. From the stage emerged a cool, calm and collected figure. He neither showed worry as with the rest nor fear of the crowd as many who have taken such a place have.

This man was no other that Fried. The de facto leader of the Raijinshu and at this moment the only guiding figure available.

"Everyone" he said in a loud and stern voice. The hustle died down and all gave their attention to the rune mage.

"Okay I know you're all scared and confused, we are too. Nether our master nor our best mages are here to help us at the moment. Naturally this would cause fear ad I believe fear is easily dispensed with knowledge. So, I ask all of you to listen to Pantherlilly as he explains our current situation"

The exceed takes the stage, transforming into his more muscular form so the crowd would take him seriously.

"Thank you. Listen everyone, after careful consideration I've determined that what we are going through is nothing more than an invasion"

Hearing that last part caused quite a stir with the crowd. Each asking and wondering what it all meant.

"Are you sure? Couldn't this just be a raid or something?" someone from the crowd shouted.

"I assure you this is not a raid. Communication isolation, area denial, quarantine, pockets of battle going off in the distance, and organization. I've done many of these and I know this is an invasion, at least the first stages of it"

It cause an even greater panic among the crowd.

"We have to get out of here!" another from the crowd shouted.

"That's not a good idea at the moment. The city is potentially surrounded and they have warmachines unlike anything you or I have ever seen patrolling the streets. We fought tone of them so trust me most of you will never make it in your current state"

The crowd was beginning to get in an uproar.

"But if we stay, aren't we going to die too? We've been here for three days surely they know were here! " yet another shouted out.

"Yes, they probably know but our chances of survival are still greater in the guild hall. I've seen their weaponry and if they wanted us dead we would be a crater already just like that mountain outside of Magnolia"

"What's your point?" someone asked.

"My point is that they need this city intact so they won't destroy it completely and until the army comes here, the master returns, or we find a viable escape route then our best chances are still staying in this building "

The crowd was now in an uproar. Some were arguing, some were panicking, while all were just confused.

If knowledge was intended to calm them down, then ignorance has clearly proven the superior in providing bliss.

"EVERYONE!" Fried shouted.

His voice boomed across the hall, silencing all dissent as they once again focused on him.

"We can't afford to panic now, that's what the enemy would want. Look at us, despite all this we're still here! We're alive and we will continue to be alive! We're Fiorens we're stronger than this! Though we may not have Pergrande's size, Joya's beauty, or Minstrel's riches we have spirit. Our guild proves that, our people prove that, you prove that!"

The crowd was starting to agree.

"So I say to you, do not give them the pleasure of seeing you falter. Do not give them the joy of relishing in your weakness. Fairy Tail will be here for you as it always has and together we can survive this! "

The crowds cheered in unison, the gloomy atmosphere changed and was replaced with vigor. Their spirits lit up, making them forget even for a little bit their dire situation.

Yet fate, in all her plans, it both mysterious and cruel for her reply to this joy and vigor was a bombardment of the guild.

The walls shook, and they could all see parts their makeshift barricade fly off from the impact of the burning rounds. Fire was beginning to spread and panic was starting to return.

Fried quickly reestablished control.

"Alright just like before. Anyone still able to walk help put out the fires and repair the barricade, we'll handle the attackers!"

"Everyone, you ready?" the members of Fairy Tail nodded and headed out to meet the enemy once more.

From the other side came great balls of fire, bright enough to illuminate the night sky and falling aupon them like meteors from an angry god. Natasu sucked all the flame out of as many as he could, while the rest were resorted to blat them mid-air.

"Goodness gracious these balls of fire are annoying!" said Charles as she helped put out what seemed to be the hundredth fire.

Yet these ordinances still left their damaging mark for even if Natsu got the fire outside, they couldn't stop the insidious inside from wreaking fiery havoc. That's right people, inside was filled with molten magma and the more they shot down the more it spread.

"Can this get any worse?!" complained Lucy.

"You should've been here on the first day. We barely drove them out of the guild hall" Levy replied.

Gray helped Juvia in containing the molten material and Gray's presence was helping since it was up to Juvia alone these past few days to clear the flames.

Now that Natsu was here, the flames were much easier to control but it became evident that they had to stop the rain of chaos.

Convinced that the damage was under control, Fried asked Lisanna to destroy the artillery just like in the previous days.

"Sorry, Fried. Natsu got me really good earlier, I still can't fly"

"Alright, Natsu since this is your fault you go and take care of those artillery "

"Hold on, Fried. Even if they are relatively easy to destroy, Natsu can't go alone" Lisanna protested.

"He's not, I'm going with him" Gray replied.

He looked at Juvia to see what she thought since they had the best ability in controlling the flames and he was worried on how she would be able to handle it.

"Juvia will be fine. You go help Natsu, Gray-sama"

He nodded and looked to his friend one more time before they both fight together.

"You ready to fight a war, Falmebrain?"

"I'm always fired up for a fight, Ice Princess. Even if I have to fight with you"

With that they scaled the barricade, brothers in arms against a greater foe. When they reached the top, they could see the giant cannons launching their fiery death. The two mage noticed that they looked like lion heads.

They also saw that it was heavily guarded.

"Woah, those things look cool. Too bad we have to destroy them" the fire mage said.

"We won't be able to unless we take out those guards. You ready? "asked the ice mage.

"You bet I am!"

With that they jumped from the pile, crashing down unto a group of guards. Natsu kicked a few with his Talons of the fire Dragon while Gray was blasting away with his Ice Make: Cannon.

"Watch out!" one of them was about to spear Natsu in the back but Gray ws able to get him.

"Dammit, now I owe you one Ice Princess!"

Though the guards were falling, they were no pushovers either. Those that fell kept getting back up, determined to protect the cannons, and more kept coming.

"Hey Natsu, don't these guys seem familiar?"

"How?"

"I don't know, like we fought them before or something?"

"We fought them earlier along with that weird metal thing"

"No, I meant did we fight them earlier than that?"

"Huh….now that you mention it they do feel familiar"

They both continued to fight, outnumbered but not outmatched. After getting one guy, Natsu found an opening and went for the closest cannon he could.

With a few strong punches, the cannon was destroyed.

"Wow, Lisanna was right. These things are easy to destroy"

He went for the next one and the same thing happened. He went for another one and the same thing happened again.

Noticing that they were losing canons fast, one of them shouted to the rest to protect them

They all disengaged fighting both mages, and formed a tight shield wall in front of the remaining cannons.

"Arms, Fire!"

Their shields, connected to each other, began to emit a red hot glow and their spears burst into flame ready to impale any fool that came close.

"You know what Gray, you're right. I think I've seen this trick before" though feeling a bit of dejavu, Natsu was not intimidated. He just sucked all the flames from their weapons and was revitalized.

"Ahhhh, good. It's not like that weird flame from earlier" revitalized, he unleashed a Roar of the Fire Dragon on the men.

However, it had no effect for the shields did their job. They even looked like they got hotter.

"Well…. that didn't work"

"Looks like we'll have to pound our way through Natsu"

"Ooohhh, that sounds fun!"

Natsu activates his Fire Dragons Iron fist, while Gray performs an Ice Make: Blades .

"Alright men, don't let them destroy the cannons unless you want to return home as a bag of ashes!"

Natsu was the first to charge, accelerating his blows by propelling them with flames from his elbow. Gray slashed away with his blades at the shields, though the heat caused them to melt a bit.

The furious attacks from the mages causes ther opponenets to retreat a bit, but it did not break their defences. Any flame Natsu would use imply got absorbed by and any ice spell used by Gray would just melt when it reached the shields.

Seeing no way to beak their defenses, Gray noticed that there was a slight gap beneath the heated shields. While Natsu pounded away, Gray disengaged and used an Ice Make: Floor. The soldiers did not slip, but they didn't have too.

Natsu's pounding finally created an opening along with Gray's Ice Make: Gauntlets.

Having the opening they needed, Natsu launched a Fire Dragon's Sword Horn into the artillery piece causing it to explode and bleed magma while Gray used an Ice Make: Ice Geyser to impale the last artillery piece causing it to bleed magma as well and steam thanks to the ice.

"Fall back, fall back!" seeing that they were beat, one of them orders a retreat and all of them injured or not make haste away from the elemental mages.

"That's right and don't come back!" the Dragonslayer yelled.

* * *

After relishing in their victory, the two mages returned to their side of the barricade.

Fried was waiting and he wanted to congratulate them personally.

"Well, took you guys long enough" he said.

"Hey it wasn't that easy" said Natsu.

"Yet Lisanna did it faster than you two. That reminds me, why didn't you just use Happy to fly you up? all you had to do was destroy the artillery "

Natsu's retort was cut short by such a simple realization, but he didn't want to look dumb so he gave what he thought was a convincing answer.

"Hehe, it's more fun to face them head on"

"*sigh* That's your reply to every fight. Well good job nonetheless"

"Hoy, Natsu!" said a strong and manly voice. The fire mage looked and saw that it was none other that Elfmann Strauss.

"Yo, Elfman! How have you been?"

"I'm fine, listen did you see Mira-nee out there?"

"What no…. wait, you mean Mirajane's not here?"

"No, she hasn't come back ever since she went out of town for a photoshoot. I thought you may have seen her "

"No….. I haven't. I'm sorry Elfman" he wondered why he didn't notice that Mirajane of all people wasn't there with them. No wonder everyone was so gloomy, her smile would've quickly changed that no matter the situation.

He beat himself up mentally for missing such a detail as Elfman walked of still worrying about her.

"Gray-sama! Juvia wants to hug you for a job well done" the water mage leapt for the ice mage, but having gone through this many times before merely steps to the side and let her fall on the floor.

"Looks like you put out all the fires. Great job Juvia" though her nose was bleeding just a bit, she still couldn't help but smile at the compliment that he gave her.

Another person caming to give a hug, but this time it was Lisanna.

"Natsu, oh I'm glad your safe!" she hugged the fire mage and I return he rubbed her head like a cat. She always did enjoy that.

"You were right Lisanna, those things are easy to destroy. Hey, is it true that Mirajane's not here? "

"Yes. She went for a photoshoot out of town. I don't know where she is or if she's alright. I'm scared Natsu" her jovial mood then quickly disappeared and was replaced with anxiety.

Natsu was anxious too, but he didn't want to see her like this so he quickly reassured her.

"We shouldn't worry about her too much Lisanna. This is Mirajane we're talking about. She's as strong as Erza I'm sure she's fine !" he gave his goofy smile as a seal of approval to his words.

Seeing like that always made her happy inside. Out of all the things in the world, she could always count on Natsu to make her happy even in times like these. That's one of the reasons why she fell for him.

"I guess your right Natsu. Now… to more important matters…. How do you plan to repay me for hurting my arm?... Oh, I have an idea"

Natsu dropped a sweat. He didn't know exactly what she had in mind(it terrified him a bit considering that she is still Mirajane's little devious sister), he could feel deep in his gut that it was going to be costly. VERY costly.

* * *

As our heroes enjoyed their little victory, deep within the flaming fortress someone was rather unhappy after knowing about the defeat.

"DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT! Can't you people do anything right? How could you lose an entire pride of Lionfire cannons?! " his frustration was accompanied by the flames in the fortress reacting just as he was.

"I told you to send an escort" said another voice as his face appeared on a screen on his brig.

"Well it's your fault for not letting me use our other weapons! We've been at this for three days already and I could've turned that guild into a crater and be done with it! "

"Yes and you would've deprived us of a potential forward operating base. Need I remind you of what happened during the Savan campaign? And how you strained both our forces and the supply line al because you kept destroying all the catacombs we could've used as forward operating bases?"

"Tch, those bugs had it coming and you know it!"

"As much as I know that you should've brought an escort for your artillery. How much do you even have in reserve? "

"Eh, I've got about two more prides ready but it's a pain to send them out….. Look, that's not the problem, the problem it we've been here too long"

"Hmmmm…. I suppose you have a point. This city especially that guild is proving exceptionally stubborn"

"Then what are we gonna do huh?!"

"*sigh* I suppose if you want something done right, do it yourself"

"Hold up, you mean were gonna…."

"Get some rest, we both have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow" were his final words as the screen disappears.

"Aaawwwwww yeah! Finally I can get out of this thing and stretch my arms! Hey, what was the name of that guild again?"

"Umm… according to the intel it's called Fairy Tail"

"Heh, arighty then. Sleep tight Fairy Tail, cause tomorrow you're mine "

* * *

Both sides retreated to sleeps warm embrace and to the realm where dreams reside.

It was the same dream again, Natsu was in a black void running infinitely.

"Dammit! Where am I?"

He ran and ran ad ran and ran, but no matter how much he ran it looked like he was getting nowhere.

Out of frustration, he punched the floor and it began to crack. Seeing light, he kept punching until finally it gave way and he fell into the guild.

Looking around, he saw three people this time. Mirajane, Erza, and the Master.

"Mira? Mira is that you? Where have you been? Mira!"

The barmaid didn't answer and upon closer inspection Natsu could see that her clothes were torn and that she was injured. Almost as if she was in a fight.

"Hoy, Mira are you okay? What happened to you?"

The barmaid seemed to have heard him and looked before once again disappearing beneath the counter.

"No way! Hey Erza, Mira just disappeared again, did you see that?! Hoy Er-"

He looked to where not too long ago the scarlet beauty was eating a cake. She too has disappeared, leaving behind in her places two swords crossed on the table. One was stuck on the table, while the other appeared to be broken. The cake, once pop pink, was not cut up and deep red.

Panicking, he turned his attention to Makarov who was calmly drinking his beer with his eyes closed.

"Master, Master! What's going on! Why do people keep disappearing!? Master!" he held the small man with both his hands and started shaking him. Makarov finally opened his eyes, but when he did he emanated a bright light that blinded Natsu. It was like the time Makarov casted Fairy Law on Jose

When he could finally see again e was in the presence of the dark and fire beings. This time, he was in the palm of the dark being as it smiled at him.

Looking back, he could see the fire being approach him and as it got closer he could hear the loud explosions.

He couldn't move, again paralyzed with fear. When it was close enough, it raised its fist to strike the Dragonslayer and created the loudest explosion yet.

This caused Natsu to awaken, and he saw that the people were gathered outside the guild looking at something.

He pinched himself to check if he was still dreaming and after making sure he was wide awake, he joined everyone.

"Hey guys, what's going on? What are you looking at?"

"Oh Natsu, you're finally awake. I'm surprised you could sleep through that" Lucy said

"Natsu is quite the heavy sleeper Lucy" Happy replied.

"Woah woah what are you guys talking about?"

"That" she pointed to the sky and showed him columns upon columns of smoke. As Natsu wondered what it meant, he heard what sounded like an explosion. In fact, it sounded similar to what he had in the dream.

"Lucy…. How long has this been going?"

"Oh about…. A few minutes now"

"Any idea what it is?"

"Nope, even Pantherlilly couldn't see what it's about"

"What the hell is going on?"

As he watched it happen along with the rest, they all started to hear a loud crashing noise and it was getting closer.

It got louder and louder until finally something crashed through one of the houses and slammed into the wall of the guild.

A crowd gathered around the strange object and when Natsu got the front he saw that what crashed into the wall was none other than Mirajane in her demon from.

"Mira!" he rushed to her side and saw that she was badly injured. As he held her in his arms, she reverted back to her normal form and looked exactly like she did in his dream.

He called out to her many times before she finally woke and saw that it was none other than her Dragonsalyer.

"N…Na…Natsu"

"Mira, what's wrong. What happened to you?"

Terror then filled her eyes as she grabbed his arm and replied with fear.

"Monster….he…. he's a monster…can't…..win….. couldn't…..have… to run"

"Take it slowly Mira. What are you talking about?"

She couldn't finish her sentence for someone interrupted her.

"Hey! Get back here, I was just starting to have fun with you!"

Natsu turned backs to see who was calling her out. He couldn't see anything at first and only heard footsteps but as it got closer a shadow started to appear.

Shadow gave way to clear form and Natsu saw one of the greatest challenges he would ever face.

* * *

 **And with that, this performance has ended for now. To all here I again thank you for your contribution. Please do comment if you so see fit and fell free to praise criticize or mindlessly bash as you see fit.**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	8. Chapter 8 - Power, Unlimited Power

**WolfGaming chapter 8 . Sep 12**

 **Great chapter! Can't wait to see the fight.**

 **\- In that case, I do hope my action writing skills impress**

 **Hello again people still reading this story! There was an interruption with my schedule, but with it over I can again return to the hopefully regular pacing of presenting to you this tale.  
**

 **A note however: I may get the corresponding lore and their powers wrong so please, do forgive me and if you so think yourself more knowledgeable regarding the lore of this franchise then please do your part in aiding me in this en devour though in a civil way please. Either by comm,ment of persoanl message.**

 **But my ramblings aside,** **Please ready yourselves. Relax your mind, and do enjoy the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium Encounter and do leave a comment on my work :D**

* * *

Shadow gave way to form as Natsu would come to face what could possibly be the greatest challenge fate has bestowed upon him as a fire mage.

But what would such a challenge look like you may ask? Well, dear reader, let's have a look.

What emerged from the dust was a man, the foremost notable feature being his hair. From crown to eyes and over ears it sprung. Unkempt and jagged but all flowing down, its color gave a glow akin to magma that was fresh. In a way, it was almost like an exploding volcano.

His eyes, wide open for the world to see and mixed with madness , revealed a spirit in constant energy while a square jaw signified his strength.

Two large pauldrons stood guard over his shoulders, spouting flame to vent the burning fury of their master. Both were held chains that wrapped around his torso.

His clothes were loose but torn in many places and he had some scars, a testament to his reckless and fighty nature.

Overall, he was a toned figure who stood tall and strong; a raging battle machine ready to mow down any challenge that dared stand in his way and turn whatever remains into ashes to step on.

"*cough* *cough* *cough* *cough* Damn, stupid dust getting in my lungs! Hoy, I know you landed here somewhere! "

His crazed eye quickly darted from one spot to another, paying no heed to the terrified and confused face that it came upon and only being satisfied once it came upon our helpless maiden in Natsu's arms.

"Ahhhh, there you are! Awww come on, don't tell me that's all ya got, I was just getting started!"

Still not paying any attention to anybody, he made his way towards the fallen demon only to be stopped by Natsu's more than angry voice.

"Hey… who are you?"

"Eh? Did someone say something?"

"I said… WHO ARE YOU?"

"Hm?"

His one track mind breaks and his attention was turned towards the angry Dragonslayer.

"Huh? Was that you?"

"Answer me….who are you and did you do this to Mirajane?!" he yelled.

Unfazed by his tone, he nonchallantly cleans his ear with his pinky and flings whatever he finds to the side.

"Mira who?"

"Shut up and answer me! Did you do this to Mirajane?!"

"Woah, you seem angry. What, she your girlfriend or something?"

"Wha- no… wait…kinda… no THAT'S NOT THE POINT WIERDO! "

"Heh, looks like I struck a nerve lover boy"

"SHUT UP!"

Natsu takes a deep breath to calm his nerves before returning to his imposing tone.

"I won't repeat myself. Did you do this to Mirajane?"

"Yeah, yeah it was me. Can I have her back now? I'm still not done with her"

"So YOU did this….."

"You got cotton in your ears? I said yes already, dammit. Now are you gonna-"

Instinct overcame his words as his fist catches Natsu's blow just inches from his face.

"Woah, you're a fast one" the man could feel the power from the Drgaonslayers fists as it wanted to cause pain to him, though it was nothing that he couldn't handle.

Calling upon his strength, he quickly tosses the Dragonslayer up high in the air to which Natsu responds by landing like all cats do. On their feet and unscathed.

"*whistle*Not bad kid. Tell ya what, since I'm in a good mood I'll give you a chance. Hand the chick over to me and I'll let you live. Deal?"

Natsu paid no heed to his offer but instead asked another question.

"Why did you do this to her?"

"What is this, Who can be a mill-" he was starting to get annoyed from the questions, but Natsu's temper again interrupted him.

"I SAID WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO HER?!" Natsu was getting annoyed as well….. well, now that I look at it I think he's more angry than annoyed.

Unfazed by such displays on emotion, the man simply scratches the back of his head. He wondered how long this little charade would go and when he could return to doing what he does best: destruction. The fact that he wasn't doing that right now, his fight being interrupted, and this young pink haired punk questioning him like it was his birthright just added to his mounting frustration.

"Look kid, I just want the chick. After all that talk she gave me about not wanting to make her mad and me regretting it, I'm not letting her off the hook"

Such words made Natsu clench his fist in anger. He wanted to hurt his friend and that did not settle well with him.

"Seriously, she just wouldn't shut up and she was a pain to catch . Too bad her bite isn't as bad as her bark though"

The Fairy Tail mages couldn't believe what they were hearing. Mirajane inhabited the highest echelons of their ranks, she could take the entire guild with one hand bound to her back and that's when she's being nice.

Now for someone to just come out of nowhere in a battle with her demon form with nothing but torn clothes and scratches….

Not even Erza, who as her longtime rival back in her aggressive days, could pull off such a feat even with armor. Victory or not, anyone who was foolish enough to cross an angry Mirajane would be bruised and beaten one way or another. Period. No exception… until now.

"*sigh* I guess not every toy can be fun. Oh well, at least I can make her beg or something….. "

"You…." the young Dragonsalyers voice started to seethe. Hearing one of the closest people in his life referred to as nothing more than a toy…something to be played with…. right in front of him…..

"Hm?"

"How dare you… How dare you call my friend a toy! She is not a toy!" he yelled.

"Geez, calm down. It's not my fault that she bit off more that she could chew. I mean she was good, but not as good as I hoped"

"She is one of the strongest people in Fiore and she's a better person then you will ever be!" he would not stand such slander. What did he know? Who was he to call her no good? She was good enough for anybody and Natsu knew that as a fact.

"Not very convincing when she's like that thanks to yours truly. In fact, I think she could use a bit more pounding. Gotta tenderize that meat"

"You…. You hurt her ….you hurt Mirajane….and…. You want to hurt her more…"

"So?"

"So….. I'm going to make you pay!" his rage finally conquered what little control he had and as imposing and menacing as he could told him he was going to pay with his fists ready for a pounding.

"*sigh* Well if you really want to get in the way, fine by me. After all….." he cracks his neck, readying himself for what seems to be another exciting battle.

"I always did enjoy breaking my toys" insane eyes complemented his huge smile, working in harmony to ironically give Natsu and all gazed upon it the chills.

* * *

No quiet came before the moment, no intimidation upon which predators display their strength to their foes, and no planning of any sort took hold in either of their minds.

As with the twilight smile that shines before the nights embrace, it all came in a flash.

Natsu had already gone for the man's face, but his intention was stopped by the man's arm. A flurry of blows followed, but none broke through the one-arm defense. Undeterred, he added kicks to his offense, though this had little effect.

However, just as the man was starting to grow bored Natsu tripped him and landed a blow to his face. Disoriented, the Dragonslayer took the opening and landed blow after blow. The man tried to retaliate with a blow of his own, but the Dragonslayer merely dodged and with great force landed a Fire Dragon's Sword Horn dead center on the man's chin.

What the Dragonsalyer hadn't expected was the man taking the impact for everything it had and still standing…kind of. He staggered back a bit, but clenches his fist and quickly brings his head back down unto Natsu's head with even greater force.

He couldn't even think and before he knew it he had fallen on his knees, the world all a blur to him.

"*whistle* That tickled " he lifted the disoriented Dragonsalyer by his scarf and then backfisted him a good distance.

The fire mage's skin skidded heavily, the gravel floor taking small bits of skin wherever it can only stopping its painful embrace when his back met a nearby cart in full force.

Again on his knees, the world started to clear up but came with it the accumulated pain that forced him to stay on his knees.

Yet even as he knelt, his instincts took over and forced his body to roll out of impending danger. This caused him even more pain, but gave him immediate relief as he saw the man's foot from on high crash through and I mean literally through the gravel floor where he should've been.

"Damn, slippery bastard!" his dedication to pure force stuck his foot to deep. Natsu saw this opportunity and without a second to spare unleashed one strong Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow.

His attention dedicated to pulling out his foot, it was now the man's turn to be sent flying as Natsu's blow caught him off guard and into a nearby house. With no hesitation, he let loose multiple Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame on the house with each addition contributing to the growing inferno and rubble.

After unleashing a good amount, he ignited his fist and ran in for the killing blow. Seeing no harm from the fire since it was of his making and anticipating no harm from the rubble, his instinct told him that it was the perfect time to end the fight.

Yet the very instincts that he relied on most of his life had betrayed him….or was it more of failed him?. Whatever it may be, the final blow he sought to give proved a mistake as the man was not only well within the blazing flames but he was waiting.

Natsu's charge was dedicated….. too dedicated in fact. He had no recourse nor retreat as the man had no trouble slamming two large beams (no doubted from the destroyed house) unto the sides on the fire mages head.

As he reeled back from the unexpected attack, it was the man's turn to exact retribution for the surprise attack done unto him. He unleashed upon the mage with each strike growing in considerable power. A sadistic chuckle escaped his mouth as he watched the pathetic attempts to stop his fury.

Natsu was couldn't understand it. He had been in many a brawl and many more he had started, yet unless they were with Erza, Mira, or Gildarts (gods forbid he ended in a fistfight with the master and Laxus was rarely in) then no matter who or what the opponent he would never lose spirit. Igneel taught him to never give up, to keep going forward, and to extol the virtues that made him the feared Fire Dragon.

Yet here he was, faltering on all sides and at the mercy of this man. It was like the time he fought Gildarts on Tenroujima and Master Hades. He admittedly felt his spirits faltering there as well and if there was one thing he learned it was that he hated it. Hate all he could, his body grew numb with each passing blow and it was refusing his will.

Before he knew it, his arms had fallen in defeat and I'm sure even he wasn't aware of it. The man spared no time and continued his flurry, ending his combo with a knee to Natsu's gut and a double axe handle to nowhere else than his head.

The Dragonsalyer could do nothing as both he and the crowd could only watch in horror.

Cracking his neck, he grabbed the mage up by the hair so as to look upon his face. He could find nothing remarkable about it, minus the bruises and scratches thanks to yours truly he could only describe it as a plain/stupid face. Though it was his eyes that finally caught his attention.

The eyes, as we all know, are the windows to the soul and when he gazed into its depths he found to his surprise a burning fire that resonated with his : reckless, wild, battle hungry, determined, headstrong, and most importantly defiant.

He couldn't help but smile knowing that there was another like him. He loved a defiant spirit….. more so in shattering one.

"You've got spunk kid, I'll give you that…Hey, wait a minute" he inspected the face closer, taking note of every detail that wasn't black and blue. With every passing second, something began to click inside his head and it was only getting louder.

"Have I seen you before? Your face is bugging me because it looks so familiar. Dammit! " scratching his head in frustration towards his short memory, his bruised opponent noticed that he was wide open. With a quick maneuver, he grabbed the man's face and unleashed a Fire Dragon's Grip Strike.

"Gah! Son of a- Got me in the eyes!" a chance to flee, to regroup, to at least get away had presented itself and Natsu was going to take it, but fate in all her cruelty made it only a fleeting hope as a tight grip came upon his arm.

The poor mage looked back as it w3as his turn to gaze upon the eyes of his enemy. Tough his hand was covering one eye, Natsu could see the pure sadistic glee that arose from the man as he looked intently on the Dragonsalyer.

"Nice trick kid. Now I'll show ya one of mine!" he quickly breathes in and spits out magma in his hands. It quickly hardens and secures his grip on the fire mage. Wasting no time, he lifts him up on the air and ragdolls Natsu's body on the ground.

The pain coursed through Natsu's body as he felt his spine crack a bit. This would not have been an issue had the ma not done it again…..and again….. and again… and again….. and again….and again. Each impact slowly but surely cracking bone and spirit. Many times he tried to stop it with his legs, but the mans was simply too quick for him to fully stabilize and cushion the impact in any meaningful way.

However, it would seem that luck has favored the poor pink haired mage for the man stopped not long after. He broke the link he had with the mage and started stomping on his defenseless head. All Natsu could do was look up defiantly.

"Hahahahah! That's it! Show me that face more! Oh man, you're a lot more fun than that demon chick!"

He readied himself for another stomp, but felt something tingle on his head. Being so caught up in tenderizing the Dragonsalyer, he hadn't noticed that Gray had unleashed an Ice Make: Claymore on his head.

"Well, aren't you a sneaky one" his hair starts to glow, melting the weapon from Gray's hands. As he turned his back to see the fly that caught his attention, he was side blinded again but Elfman who with a Beast Arm: Iron Bull struck him right in the face. The takeover mage quickly grabbed Natsu from the floor and pulled him to safety. Seeing that his friend was safe, Gray quickly jumped out of the killzone before the man could recover.

"Hey Natsu, are you alive?" Elfman checked to see if his friend was still breathing. He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Natsu out of all people was just too stubborn to die.

The Dragonsalyer spat out the blood from his mouth before reassuring his friend "Tch, what took you so long Elfman?"

"Well, we weren't sure if you could handle this guy. Looks like I lost my bet to Gray"

"Shut it! I'm man enough to fight him!"

"I never said that you weren't man enough Natsu. In fact, you were quite manly for lasting that long. A perfect man for my sister if I do say so myself "

Out of embarrassment, Lissana threw a brick at his head.

"Elfman, stop saying stuff like that in public!"

"But isn't it true, Lissana?"

"That's not the point!"

"Hey, are you still able to fight Lizard Boy?" Gray came to check on his friend as well, but his attention was still on the man who had not yet recovered from the attack.

"Hmph, better than you can"

"Sure, whatever. Can you stand?"

"Of course Ice queen" he quickly got up and dusted himself off to prove his point. In no time, it was like the fight never happened and he was ready for more.

"Then get ready, I doubt this one would go down so easily" he formed an Ice Cannon on his shoulders and aimed it.

"I'm always ready" with his head held high, he set his fists ablaze and prepared himself for round two.

"I'm joining you guys. This punk hurt my sister and I'm gonna show him that real men don't hurt girls" with one Beast Arm: Black Bull on one hadn and one Beast Arm: Iron Bull on the other he was ready to join the fight.

When the man finally recovered from the sucker punch, he saw not just one but three opponents before him.

"Ooohhh I see what's going on….." Not needing to ask, he understood the situation and with a wide toothy smile shouted in excitement.

"Aww yeah! Now this is starting to get fun! Especially in a 3 vs 1. Hahahahah!" not deterred that he was outnumbered, he entered a stance and did the "Bring it on" gesture.

"More toys for me!"

* * *

As the flames of battle began to rage at the heart of Fairy Tail, another battle was coming to it's end. Not by power mind you, but by the tip of the sword.

"Gurk… How… did" the blade had pierced the man's heart. He stood alone among his butchered comrades and dying as the blade sunk deeper. He could only stare in bewilderment at his victorious opponent whose face he could not see but who did not mock him for his defeat.

"Your defense was rather impressive, but your overall bladework left a lot to be desired" he withdrew the blade from the man's chest and watched as he fell on his knees bleeding.

"Not only your defense, but I must also commend your valor. For a mere garissoner, you and your comrades put up quite the fight" though he looked down on the dying figure his words were spoken of with calm and impress.

The man spat out the blood that was accumulating in his mouth so as to speak to his best ability.

"Heh…the…g…guild…will…stop….you…" with every word that he spot, blood flowed out of the gaping wound staining his armor with the crimson of life.

"Perhaps, but that is their destiny. Your part in this play is done" he cleans his sword of the blood and slowly sheathes it back into his scabbard.

"Heh…..you….enjoyed…th….that….didn't…you"

"In a way…. But I will hardly be disrespectful to a dying man even if they be my enemy"

The garissoner could stay upright no longer and he feel on the floor as his life essence surrounded him in its embrace.

"I'm…sorry…everyone" the world started to grow dark and the cold crept through his hands. As he gazes upon the bright sky, his life flashed before him. His childhood spent in his parents arms, his school days where he forged his friendships that now lie dismembered around him, the days he played in the forest collecting bugs and fishing, and his love whom he promised to one day marry. To add to the cruelty, he was just able to finally ask her on a date to which she had gladly replied yes. She was always so cute when she blushes e thought.

But it was not forever and he again came back to the real word. His last sight was not to the sky for which he gazed, but to his slayer.

"Rest now, warrior for know your death is part of a greater destiny and your bravery deserving of an ode"

With his remaining strength, the man gave a surprised smile that he accompanied with his final words.

"Heh… I…wonder…..how long….. that…would…..be….." with final breath he came to death. No more to see the blue lit sky, only to gaze forever on high.

"*sigh* Never long enough" the man closed the dead garissoners eyes and that of his comrades as well. He did his best to arrange their parts and their bodies in a respectful funeral manner. He gave them one final bow of respect before leaving them be to their eternal rest.

"That should secure this sector of the city. If I recall, that would make that thirty-five percent captured " not trusting his memory, he pulled out a lacrima crystal that displayed and active feed on the conquest of the city. As the blobbing color confirmed his suspicion, he then configured the runes on the crystal and started talking to it.

"To all warriors hearing this, I have disposed of the garissoners reinforced in the central market district. Proceed with the stratagem"

Hearing muffled confirmation from what sounded like multiple voices, he deactivates the crystal and returns it to his pocket.

"Now then, what part of this irksome city hasn't fallen yet?" almost immediately the air cracked from an explosion far off into the city. Just as he thought it was just another explosion, more came from the same area and the position made him worry.

"I'll take THAT as my answer then. *sigh*I do hope he hasn't turned it into rubble yet" giving a sigh, he casually walks to the source with the ashes of war trailing behind him.

As our enigmatic enemy makes his way to the carnage, we return to those who are experiencing it firsthand.

The man just continued to laugh as he flung explosive fireball after explosive fireball. He gave almost no care to accuracy and instead reveled in the indiscriminate destruction that he caused.

Such actions gave our heroes quite the paradox: their natural sense of self-preservation was strong but so was their inclination to protect those around them. In the end, they went with the latter and while Gray struggled to keep his ice spells from outright melting and Elfman was fighting to keep his stable footing Natsu was having a blast *ba dum tsss* Where did that come from?... Anyway, Natsu was having a blast consuming all the ones he could catch.

"Phew! Man this fire tastes spicy!" he said as he engulfs yet another one.

"You like that eh? Well, have the main course!" he combines his hands and creates a bigger fireball, launching towards our fire mage.

Natsu stood his ground and consumed the flame again, but was unaware that his opponent had closed the distance and was ready to strike.

To the Dragon mages fortune, Gray had saved him by freezing the man's arm to the ground.

The fire mage jumped away just as the man turned his attention to the ice mage.

"Heh, is that all ya got?" almost immediately, the man melted the ice and came for Gray but was blindsided by Gajeel who was already in his steel scales.

"Thanks Gajeel. I owe you one"

"Don't get to comfy, his still up"

"Gah. What the hell was that?!...Metal man? Pffft, been there crushed that" without hesitation, he started pounding Gajeel with the Steel Dragonsalyer responding in kind. The exchange was rather equal until the man found an opening in one of the strikes and forced Gajeel on the defensive.

Yet this one track mind that aided him so with each opponent again proved to be troubling for he had slipped on and Ice Make: Floor that Gray had casted, leaving him open to another blindside by one of Elfmans's strong Beast Arms.

He flew back quite a bit and crashed into a stall. Quickly dusting himself off, he prepares to charge again but was interrupted but a very deep voice calling to him.

"What now?!"

He turned to his back to see a small black cat with a scar standing in front of him.

"A…. cat?" was all he could say before Pantherlilly quickly transforms into his more masculine form and kicks him hard on the face. It was more than enough to make him fly off again.

"Ow….Okay….big…cat" he tried to rise, but saw that the Exceed had used the sun to blind his falling approach with sword ready to stab at his fiery heart. He quickly crosses his arm and sets them ablaze, protecting his arms from the cold steel by just enough.

He kicks the Exceed and returns the favor, creating the distance he needed to recover. When he finally stood on his own two feet, he became fully aware as to the fact that his enemy's number had increased.

"*whistle* 5 on 1 now eh? Now that's what I talking about! LET'S DOOO THIS!" with a fervor that seemed unending, he took them all on. With muscle clashing and sweat flying off , it was a testosterone filled mosh pit.

But even as if he looked like he was having the time of his life (seriously, if you people were here you could see the pure joy plastered right on his face) it became evident that as the fight went on that he was losing… bad.

Such a sentiment was solidified when Gajeel and Elfman broke through his guard and knocked him a good distance away (for a strong man, he sure gets tossed around a lot). As he tried to retaliate by flinging a large fireball, his arm was caught by a string of magical energy.

"What the hell?!" it turned out to be Lucy and her magic whip.

"Guys, now!"

This was it. Thanks to Lucy's smart move, they found the perfect opportunity to end the fight. They ahd to admit though, he was good. But with friends like these that stood by each other's side, shoulder to shoulder, and willing to fight right down to the very last man there was nothing that they couldn't do.

Like clockwork, they all unleashed their attacks in a perfect storm of power. First Gray forze the man's legs in place. Having secured the enemy, the two Dragonsalyers unleashed their respective elemental roars. Gray unleashes a barrage of Ice Make: Arrows, with Lucy ordering Sagittarius to fire his arrows as well. Elfman and Pantherlilly, not having any ranged attacks in particular, just both threw giant rocks that were lying around.

The man tried to block, even if he knew that he couldn't block everywhere and dodging was out of the question. It all came upon him in a bright flash of magical fury.

Smoke and dirt rose from the place where the man stood. Surely it was over they thought. He was good, but he couldn't be strong enough to take all of that. I mean, what are the odds?

As the dust began to clear, a shadow began to emerge. Not fallen as they had hoped, but not completely standing either. When it had finally settled, they saw the man bruised and on his knees. Usually this was a sign of defeat, a declaration that one could no longer stand to fight his enemy. It even caused our mages to let down their guard for a bit with Natsu himself approaching him to make sure.

Yet where he expected silence from the fallen foe, he heard laughter.

"Ha….Haha….Hahahah…..Hahahahahahaha!" though injured and admittedly beaten, he was to the fear of the mages far from out.

"No way…" Lucy's disbelief resonated with everyone watching. The citizens couldn't believe what they were seeing, while the Fairy Tail Mages recalled the fight with Master Hades not too long ago.

"It's….just like that time" said Wnedy. Too met another one like him made her feel cold inside.

"Wow….. you people are no joke. Heh, you were actually able to hurt me a lot and got in a few good hits I'll give you that. Hahahaha…." he struggled to stand, but was able to fulfill the task and again stare his opponents in the eye.

"While I do enjoy playing and having a good time, I'm a very sore loser" he clenched both his fists very hard and our mages readied themselves for another attack.

But if there was one thing that they had to learn, it was that they didn't know what to expect from this enemy.

Instead of hitting them, the man instead double fisted his face. The blow was hard enough to cause a gale. The man's arms went limp along with his upper body, but he still stood.

While everyone was scratching their head as to why the man almost KO'ed himself, Natsu noticed something starting to drip from his head. Was it blood? After a blow like that, of course someone would bleed.

"No, something's wrong" he could smell blood and… something else. It smelled familiar, but at the same time he knew it wasn't normal for blood.

He took a closer look and the "blood" for lack of a better word was glowing. Actually, it was….pulsing a bright yellowish/orange color. If that wasn't strange enough, his hair started to drip with the "blood" as well like little rivers seen from up above as they snaked their way through a landscape. It looked familiar, but Natsu just couldn't put his finger on it.

The man's arms grew tense and with it his pauldrons started to burn more intensely then before. He inhaled deep and almost ghoul sounding breath before raising his head to stare through our mages which thanks to the "blood" dripped down his head had a greater intimidating effect.

It was almost like time itself stood still along with our mages to watch what was unfolding in front of them. A thousand thoughts ran through their minds as it the moment was just too surreal. Natsu wasn't sure what to make of it, but he had a gut feeling that it was far from good.

The moment was broken when the man, after an eternity of staring, finally exhaled releasing what looked like steam. The wispy columns of white continued to rise from his mouth even as he let out a wicked smile to our mages.

"Haaaaaaaa….Now, let's try that again"

* * *

Though a little scared, the mages were not defeated. After all, he was down a minute ago and he did take quite the beating. He even admitted himself that he was injured so surely he wasn't going to last much longer right?

But they were wrong…

Very Wrong.

The man, unlike a while ago didn't charge in like a rhino but instead he quickly lifted one arms and created a fireball that was twice the size of the ones he was making not too long ago.

Sensing danger, Juvia quickly creates a large water barrier around the bystanders (now that I think about it why didn't she do that earlier?) just as the man drops it on the floor. Her barrier, unfortunately couldn't cover our mages in time. They were blasted straight through the metal bars and into the guild hall.

To further attest to the power of the blast, Juvia's barrier, though it did its job, had evaporated into steam almost instantaneously. A second later and someone would've been burnt.

The man had no interest in the defenseless victims as his one track mind focused only on the mages. Through the terrified bystanders and twisted metal, he made his way towards his toys.

When Natsu opened his eyes, he was in the guild hall. His body was aching and warm… very warm. Was it all a dream? Did he pass out after a good brawl? Did he challenge Canna do a drinking contests again and lost? That would explain why he was feeling warm.

When he looked up, he saw his friend's scattered all over the place. Okay, so the brawl theory was coming together and he had a sliver of hope that the man he was fighting was a dream. But alas, his hopes were shattered almost immediately as when he took a closer look his friends were more injured than what they usually sustained in a Fairy Tail brawl. Not only that, Pantherlilly was in his muscular form and he knew that Pantherlilly never joined such "pointless moshpits" as he called it. He preferred legitimate sparring, mostly with Erza.

The final nail on his hopes came when he heard the man's voice as he emerged from the gaping hole in the wall.

"You know kid, now that I take a closer look you all of your have faces are making me feel déjà vu. It's really starting to bug the hell out of me "

He stopped in his step and took a look at the architecture around him.

"*whistle* Nice place you got here. Shame I have to burry you and all your friends in it"

"I won't….." Natsu struggled to get out of the rubble so as to stare defienatly at his enemy.

"Hm?"

"I won't let you … destroy this place. My home…. Our Home!"

"Natsu…." Seeing his rival/friend so determined gave Gray hope. He was right, this was their home and he wasn't going to let someone take it from him.

"Tch, you're an idiot if you think I'm quitting" said Gajeel as he became the first to stand from his pile.

"You think I'm done with you? I'm still going to make you pay for hurting my sister!" Elfman thought ired was still able to transform his arms into a Beast Arm: reptile and Bear respectively. No way he was giving up now.

"Hmph, you're good. Fought better" was all Pantherlilly said before summoning his humongous sword.

"That's right, with my friends by my side there's nothing we can't do!" said Natsu as he finally got out of his rubble pile.

"Because We're Fairy Tail!" they all said.

The man couldn't help but laugh a long, hardy at this display. Not only in their defiance, but also in their friendship. Oh how silly it was and how satisfying it would be to break it.

"Ahahahahahaha! I'm soooooo going to feel good when I kill you all. That way, you're faces will stop bugging me" now more excited then ever, he got into a stance and prepared for the epic brawl that was about to happen.

Their hearts raced, adrenaline pumping through their body. They both knew that this brawl would determine the winner and both did not intend to fall here. Blood boiling and tensions rising they waited for someone to make the first move.

Yet as epic as a tale it would have been to see these two forces clash again, the strings of fate had woven another plan for our heroes.

The sky cracked above them as they all heard a large noise akin to thunder. As Lucy looked up, she saw a bright streak of blue fly up on the sky at ungodly speeds and smite the land behind the man. It caused quite the stir and continued to crackle with immense energy.

When the bolt finally stabilized, out came from its blue pillar of energy another man.

To our heroes, it just added to the mystery. To the man, it was an annoyance.

"Oh….. it's you"

* * *

 **And with that, this performance has ended for now. To all here I again thank you for your contribution. Please do comment if you so see fit and fell free to praise criticize or mindlessly bash as you see fit.**

 **Know that I do intend to finish this... monstrous work in one way or another. Though, as with any play, there will be pauses so as to allow rest but be assured that this is currently the only main performance.**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	9. Chapter 9 - Honor

**Good day to you all. I must first come out and say that this took a good amount of my time not because I was lazy mind you but that I wanted to refine this chapter as much as possible. After all, this is where it truly begins for our Fairy Tail mages. This is also my first prolonged fight scene and I do hope that it is exciting as a written medium may put it.**

 **This chapter, in taking my time, took plenty of my energy as well so I may not write for a while but I will not expect to write a chapter this long for a while and may resume my one week-ish schedule in posting.**

 **But my personal suffering for your enjoyment aside please** **relax your mind, comfort yourself and do enjoy the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium Encounter.  
**

 **Oh and a critique/comment would always be helpful (At least, that's what I hope XD) so please do not hesitate to leave one**

 **Personal Note: I may get the map locations wrong and some dialogue is what others may call "cringey" but there really is no detailed map of Fiore and the lines of Fairy Tail are sometimes like that. Feel free to prove me wrong though and provide me with the correct information.**

* * *

"Oh…. it's you" bolts of blue electrical power continued to dance all around him without a care as he rose from the ground to fully announce his presence.

Unlike his arrival, his ware reflected a mysterious nature.

A hat of straw seen worn by the few mystic east travelers that pass by donned his crown.

Accompanied by this was a mask, guilded to some extent and rather sharp but overall elegant and streamlined, that conveyed nothing of his human emotions.

Though his eyes did clearly pierce through the shroud, it would only surrender a gaze of boredom and disinterest but nothing more.

The glasses that accompanied them over the mask gave a mark of intellect.

No more would be given, for his body if he had one was veiled in a white cloak that covered him from his feet up to his slender neck.

He stood there simply watching, all but our pyric enemy wondering what ….. thing stood before them before he spoke and broke the moment.

"Gjorum, that's enough" the voice that broke through the mystique was one calm and control, a stark contrast to the loud and bombastic of our pyromaniac.

"Buzz off! Can't you see I'm busy here?" Gjorum had long gotten used (though not completely) to the whole "mysterious phantom" gimmick and with adrenaline running around his body at the speed of light he wasn't having any of it right now.

"Busy demolishing our forward base, yes. Haven't I explicitly told you that we needed this structure intact? That hole in the wall isn't a good start"

"So what? This thing's got like… the other walls "

"*sigh*That's not the point"

"Pssh, whatever. Look, you go back to whatever it is your doing. These guys are mine"

"As you wish. I'll just claim the entire city then"

"Woah Woah Woah! Who said you can take everything?!"

"I did. You hardly have any territory"

"Cut the crap! I know I have more than you!"

"Is that so?"

The cape rustled for a bit before revealing from its bowels a black gloved hand. Within its grasp, a lacrima crystal that projected onto the floor the map of Magnolia. Upon this projected surface, a black blob that was slowly expanding but was coherent in shape while the other bright orange dots scattered all over with no discernable pattern.

"See that?! I got more dots!"

"That when combined shows that you are barely half of mine"

"Yer bluffing!"

"Doubt me to your hearts content, the spoken truth remains "

Hearing one of his "sayings" really got on his nerves. It made him feel stupid when people were around and he didn't like that. Out of frustration, he reached into his pocket and got out a lacrima crystal. Though cracked and chipped in some areas, it was relatively larger in size and it still worked.

Flashing for a bit, the man's words were proven true when Gjorum took a look at his own map.

"Geez you weren't kidding. Can't those morons do anything right?!"

"Your lack of a plan aside do you still wish to continue your little brawl? I'll be more than happy to oblige" though his last part was somewhat of a lie, he had yet again outmaneuvered Gjorum with his own drive to win and that gave him a bit of pleasure even if his mask guarded such emotion from the eyes of everyone else.

"Grrraaahhh! Fine, you can have this guild! I'm done with them anyway" he stuffed the crystal back into his pocket and stomped out of the gaping hole in the wall. Before he left, he gave his comrade some words of caution.

"I shouldn't tell you this, but these people are good. Really good"

"How so?"

"Look at me four eyes, you think I'd go this far for flies? Oh and watch out for the white haired chick, she's quite the kicker" he gave the group one last look of irritation as he gave them his parting words.

"I swear I've seen you people before"

With that, he walked out of view and left our mages to the mercy of their new masked enemy. The fate of our mages to their new masked enemy.

He watched his comrade disappear into the distance before bringing his attention back to his enemies. Pantherlilly, with his acute feline vision, notices some sort of glint in the man's eyes but it was quickly held down before the Exceed could make anything out of it.

The masked man said not a word as he slowly but surely visually inspected each and every mage before him in an eerie manner.

"Hmmmm, rather peculiar you bunch "

With everyone else frozen in place for one reason or another, Pantherlilly was the first among them to break the ice of the moment.

"Who are you stranger?"

His inquiry was not answered and the man merely continued on with his own thoughts.

"I must say, not many people can stand to challenge Gjorum "

"Gjorum… is that the guy's name? Why did he leave?"

"I must commend you for holding your ground for as long as you did, it spared our potential forward base the unnecessary destruction. Then again, you still standing is testament of your resiliency and that provides me an even greater problem. Oh how a double-edged sword it is "

"Forward base? Why would you need that? Why are you here? " hearing a familiar military term caused him great concern. The invasion was bad enough but how far did this enemy intend to push?

"I must say, the craftsmanship of this building is astonishing now that I can look at it from the inside. The space is also rather convenient" he gazed in amazement at the tall ceiling, felt the oaken tables, enjoyed the light as it shone through the glass windows, and just appreciated the overall interior design.

So lost in his thoughts that he was only broken when Pantherlilly raised hi voice at him.

"HOY! Are you listening to me human?!"

"Hmm… Oh please forgive me I do tend to ramble"

"Hmph, at least you're polite. Let me try this again, who are you human?" though it was clear that this one was more controlled in his temperament, Pantherlilly never let down his sword against enemies polite or not. Otherwise, he wouldn't have become the Captain of the 1st Magic War Division of a human kingdom no doubt.

"Ah yes, names " the man turns toward them and addresses himself properly.

"I am Exyle Night, Right Hand of his imperial majesty. That chum you were fighting with not too long ago was Gjorum Straum, the Imperial Purifier "

"Well then Exyle, what is your purpose in attacking Magnolia?"

"I cannot divulge our warplans to just anyone, my feline foe. Though I can say that by order of his imperial majesty, we are to take you lands so as to serve a greater purpose "

"Greater purpose huh? I've heard that before. Tell me, how many lives do you intend to take to achieve such a purpose for your lord?"

It was that same sense of duty that led him lead wars in the name of the kingdom and even commit some…..questionable acts. Having served both the kingdom and Extalia, Panterlilly then understood that this man was doing his duty.

He expected nothing less from such an enemy and even on some level resonated with him.

"No more than needed unless you surrender to end this quickly"

It was rare to find someone similar to you, rarer still to find him as an enemy. Pantherlilly had always valued life even when he did take it and out of all the campaigns and all the battles he had found another that shared that sentiment. It was akin to finding an oasis in the desert after a day in the sun, few and very far in between but always refreshing.

"That's…. .surprising. Not many people like you that value enemy life"

"Senseless violence is hardy if ever a good strategy or principle"

Then out of nowhere he suddenly moves, causing our mages to flinch in preparation for an attack but then they see his arm wrapped with a blue energy. He wasted no time as (to the amazement of our mages) he quickly grabbed the blue line and yanked it with force with whatever was attached to its end being back fisted with speed towards Gray.

"And a surprise attack always with a plan of escape"

None of the Fioren mages had time to react and before they knew it one of their companions had already fallen. When they had already realized it, they found that the thing on the end was none other than Lucy herself, hurt and disoriented along with her shirtless companion but both fine.

Gray was the first to regain consciousness and though greeted with….. a rather excellent view… he unfortunately had not much time at his disposal to enjoy it and so checked on her.

"Lucy, are you alright? Can you stand?"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch…Tsssss, boy I didn't see that coming" she said still disoriented and unable to stand.

Following behind her were the ever loveable Wendy and the exotic Juvia who, upon seeing her one and only in such a compromising position with her "love rival", left Wendy in her tracks and jumped straight for Gray. Sadly, she would only meet the floor as the ice mage helped said "love rival" up to her feet.

"*sob* Ouch, Juvia has again lost…. Ah cold floor, how you have become Juvia's friend" The water mage says all depressed.

"Hey Juvia! Wait for-kyah!" when the ever loveable Wendy finally caught up, it was no surprise that she just couldn't help but give her trademark trip and fall for all to see. Oh how I never tire of that gimmick.

It was, however, a strange yet delightful surprise to Exyle seeing a klutz and an obsessive lover within the same vicinity.

"Hey, Juvia stop messing around! We still have a fight on our hands" he tried to talk to the sobbing blob, but it would seem that she was too depressed to do anything. If that wasn't bad enough, Wendy was genuinely out cold, Lucy looked like she was trying to tightrope on solid ground, Gray was grabbing everywhere in an attempt to stabilize her, and Elfman was shouting about how a man should truly grasp a lady (don't ask).

"Ummm…are they always like this?" he said directing his question to the Exceed.

"You have no idea" was his reply.

Our enemy couldn't help but internally chuckle at how silly the overall situation was "I must say these people are rather… strange" he thought to himself.

It was a nice reprieve from the gruesome war situation transpiring outside, but it was short lived as the Steel Dragonslayer reminded them of the gravity of the situation.

"When you're all done being morons, I'd actually like to….. you know… get to fighting and stop this whole invasion thing " he along with his flaming counterpart had not let their eyes wander from their prey and as such kept themselves ready to pounce at a moment's notice.

"Ah yes, I still need an answer regarding my offer" he asked them all.

"Basically you're asking us to give up?" said Pantherlilly.

"More or less…."

"Are you stupid?" out of nowhere, Natsu made a blunt statement to the man and which caught his attention immediately.

"I…. beg your pardon?" not so quick to anger, their masked foe was curious as to why he was called stupid.

"I said are you stupid" the Dragonslayer merely repeated it like it was nothing.

"Umm….. why?"

"Because you look smart but saying something so dumb"

"Asking for your surrender….. is dumb?"

"Of course! I mean the other guy knew just by looking"

"Knew….. what exactly?"

The Dragonslayer answered him with that trademark smirk of his and gladly pointed to the guild mark of his arm.

"Hmph! That we're Fairy Tail and we never give up! Never! No matter what!" was all he said as he ignited his fist and prepared for battle.

"Natsu's right! We never gave up to anybody! Why should we start with you?" Lucy had regained her consciousness and stood by the pink haired mage. With her whip recovered and Scorpio summoned by her side, she was as ready for a showdown as any other.

"After all this you just expect us to quit? Huh, maybe the lizard boy has a point" Gray was in no submissive mood today and so he went with the Dragonslayer.

"If Juvia surrenders, how will she be with Gray-sama?"her bottom half turned into a swirling mass of water as she stood by her friends.

"I can't give up, I won't give up! I already lost one home, I won't lose another!" said the ever loveable Wendy as she dusted herself off and joined the gang.

"You heard her" was Gajeely reply.

"Real men never quit!" a primal roar escaped Elfmans mouth so as to add more manliness to his words.

In the face of all this defiance, he merely looked on at each of them until his eyes finally came upon Pantherlilly as if gambling on the Exceed to play the devil's advocate. Yet his bet was lost as the Exceed played his hand in his friends favor.

"Sorry , I'm with them" with blade in hand he drew it on their masked foe and stood with his comrades.

Exyle let out a sigh of defeat. Alas, it was not meant to be one of those days and he internally chastised himself for thinking so. Yet, one cannot be faulted for having hope am I right?

Fate has dealt him with this hand and by the duty to his lord, his men, and his people he was called played it to his best. A call he would gladly answer.

"Well….. I suppose this means negotiations are over"

* * *

From the void within his cape, his hand again emerged gently gliding through the cloth as it reached for the crest on his shoulder. With a turn from his hand, the crest shifted its form and then split in half. One piece quickly flew to his other shoulder and both pieces began to transform the cloak.

From a complete veil that shrouded its treasure from prying eyes, surges of blue magical power began to dance around as the two pieces split the middle. Yet even when such a breach was made, all the Fioren mages saw was nothing more than the void as dark as the depths of the human heart.

However, it had revealed one secret. His feet could now be seen. Booted and grounded, it reminded those that saw him that he walked as they did and was no apparition though many (to his satisfaction) saw this as a trick of sorts and continued to doubt.

He deemed it unnecessary to show them more was ready to answer any martial challenge.

With his gaze straight and true and his stance imposing (I daresay even more so than before), he gave them his challenge.

"Your move"

Almost immediately Gajeel took the first bite, jumping up high on the air and landing an Iron Dragon Pillar with a speed that betrays his heavy look.

Such betrayal would not fool Exyle for he was one step ahead….. literally. Gajeel was sure he was aiming right at him, but it did not matter. With his other arm he launched another pillar attack at his back but again hit nothing.

"Interesting magic you have there" their masked foe had dodged the attack and was right beside Gajeel.

"When did he-" was all Gajeel thought before instinctively side kicking him. He merely stepped back and in response Gajeel swung his free arm.

The solid metal rod cleaved through the air at great speeds but found its target just out of its reach. With an opening before him, the masked man closed the distance in a blink of an eye but Gajeel just as quickly freed his arm from the ground and again launched another pillar at his foe.

Though the pillar wouldn't get much momentum considering the distance, Exyle was too close to dodge the blow. Other than the obvious reasons, it was a fact that when you were hit by Black Steel it would hurt and the many black bruises from his many victims of past reinforced the title well.

The logical outcome ensued, the blow made contact and Exyle not wanting to be rammed caught it with his palm. The strike was not stopped cold mind you, but was merely caught and in the blink of an eye twisted with such speed that the Black Steels body could do nothing but follow.

Gajeels physical strength was turned back on him and with the weight of his free arm dangling out he was brought hard to Exyle's logical conclusion: the ground.

The impact's energy coursed through his body and where his brain had failed to act at that moment his instinct took over. He shot an Iron Dragon Spear that forced him to jump back, giving the Dragonslayer ample opportunity to land it on the roof and pull himself from the rubble.

From his vantage point, he turns his free arm into another Spear and unleashes a barrage of steel spears. With a bit of effort the masked man dodges them all but almost failed to notice the Dragonslayer crashing his Iron Dragon Clubs down on him.

The impact caused a cloud of rubble to fly up, obstructing the masked man's view long enough for Gajeel to catch him with his Iron Dragon Sword. Though he was able to dodge and save his center mass, a small portion of his hat wasn't so fortunate.

With both pillar and sword in hand, Gajeel focused and viciously lashed at the masked man only to meet with air and frustration. As he came in for presumably another counter, the Dragonslayer quickly crossed his arms and scratched the two pieces together. Sparks flew and Gajeel aimed to towards the masked man's eyes, landing it with great precision.

"Blast! My eyes!"

It was a nifty (and sometimes dirty) trick that he had developed even long before his Phantom Lord days. Rather helpful for landing the kill or just getting away. An added bonus came when the sparks would cause injury, but Exyle's mask protected him form such a fate so vision loss was good enough.

Having predicted the result, he prepared to swing an Iron Dragon Club .Taking just that extra millisecond more to make the blow hurt rather badly.

What he failed to predict, however, was Exyle using his cloak to fake his mass. A flash of white flew up on the air, confusing the aim of Gajeel as his club first came upon its smooth texture before surprisingly landing on Natsu's fist who had also tried to land a blow from behind.

Iron and fire clashed with force, clearing the view as they both saw that Exyle was below them leaving no time for both Dragonslayers as he swiftly sweep kicked them both.

Though now far from the ground they were far from deterred and in unison both launched their elemental kicks from above on their masked foe's head.

A quick analysis of the situation told Exyle that unless something was done he would be flattened. He was persistent when he needed to be but was not hard headed as Gjorum was both figuratively and in fact.

Though his enemies could not see it, by kinesthetic awareness he knew that one of his arms was closer to Natsu's oncoming foot. Using that knowledge, he caught the pink haired mage's foot, directed it just below Gajeels path of attack, and used the momentum to roll out of danger.

The maneuver was a success and instead of his head it was Natsu's foot that was crushed by Gajeels club driving it deep into the floor.

"EEEEYYYYAAAAHHH!" Natsu screamed as he hopped around in excruciating pain.

"You bastard! You crushed my foot!"

"It's your fault for getting in my way you moron! What were you even thinking?!" was the Iron Dragonslayers response.

"I was trying to knock him out from behind! What do you think I was doing?!"

"Getting in the way! That's what you were doing!"

As the two argued, Exyle was busy catching his breath. He looked at the crater caused from the blow and was relieved that it wasn't him in there.

But alas the relief was not to last for long as though he noticed the floor beneath him turn to ice, he failed to dodge Wendy's Sky Dragon Roar and Scorpio's Sand Buster. It sent him flying and crashing into Gray's Ice Wall, causing slight pain.

Before he could even stand to face his new enemy, a swirling tidal mass came crashing upon him; entrapping his whole body in a tidal sphere with Juvia lording on top of it.

The commotion broke the argument between the two Dragonslayers and they both praised the water mage for finally catching the elusive enemy.

"Finally got that slippery bastard!" said Gajeel.

"Good job Juvia, you're amazing as always!" said Natsu.

"Nice one Juvia!" said Gray.

Now the water mage was a sucker for praise. Even though she was thought of as emotionless during her Phantom Lord days, praise from lowly pawns to even Master Jose himself would always brighten up her day and sometimes remove the rain that would always follow her.

Though Gajeels was coming from a comrade and Natsu was just genuinely sweet, it was the all-important Gray-sama's that made her feel all warm and giddy inside every time. Even though she was a woman of refinement, she just could help but jump for joy over them all.

"Oh Gray-sama! Juvia is so happy to be appreciated by you! Oh and your support is great too Natsu and the other guy!"

"Tch, don't call me other guy Juvia" though somewhat annoying, he knew it was just her emotions acting up. Not only that, they were comrades before and now so he made no big deal of it.

Though trapped inside the aquatic prison, he could make out the conversation beyond it thanks to his training. They had somewhat relaxed and believed that the fight was over, though the Exceed was still combat ready. He struggled to release himself, though not frantic in his actions the strain on his body was evident.

The more he fought the more the current would juggle him and he was struggling to stay upright as it is. Every second that passed without the sweet breath of air felt like a man slowly ripping his lungs out, taking his sweet time to watch as the muscle and tendons slowly ripped apart. Many have said that drowning was a rather peaceful way to die, he would always win the argument by asking why those that said it were still alive.

But to prove them right or wrong was not his goal, his goal was to not make this prison of water into a tomb…. Nay to win for his lord, men, and empire! After all, should he fall here….

Yet the current was strongest the closer it was to the outside. Surely he would not be defeated by that, he could fight his way out. With a little determination he could do it…. but could does not mean would. Perhaps Gjorum and his unending energy and spunk but not he at least not immediately. Realizing that winning this fight with martial might alone was going to be difficult at least, he repressed his fight instinct for just a second to allow his mind to flow with thoughts properly.

He was in a water sphere with strong current…. a water sphere… a water sphere….. a water…..water…..

That's it!

He quickly surveyed the area and confirmed that the water maiden keeping him entombed was distracted along with the others.

Blackness was starting to creep in from the corners, he had to make this quick. Focus and surprise were his ticket to freedom.

He crossed his arms and his legs but was still able to remain stable. He blacked out all other sensations (especially the one that was like his throat being clawed out) and gathered his focus.

From the outside, it looked like the oxygen deprivation had done its job. Exyle wasn't moving and the fight didn't really last that long. The Fairy Tail mages were triumphant….or so they believed.

Pantherlilly still had his eyes on his foe and though many would've blacked out at this point he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.

His eyes saw a flash of blue, but thought no more of it.

It came again, but again he thought nothing of it.

The flash lasted longer before disappearing again and he noticed something.

As another one came up, his acute feline eyes saw that the blue was different. A deeper shade in fact.

Another came… then another…. Then another. The flashes were now becoming frequent and Pantherlilly knew he had seen them before.

…

…!

Horror gripped his eyes as he had a good idea as to what it meant.

This was far from over.

Taking in a deep breath, he yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Juvia, get out of there NOW!"

His deep, strong, creamy voice… What? Aw hell don't you look at me like that you KNOW that voice is HOT!... Anyway, his deep, strong, creamy voice magnified in such a way broke Juvia out of her joyous state.

"What was that, Pantherlilly?"

"I said get off-" his words would never reach her as from the watery prison came the wrath of god itself. A surge of electrical power coursed through the sphere, unleashing all its fury on the poor helpless Juvia as she took the brunt of it all.

Her screams echoed through the halls as power came into her body and her senses were overloaded with pain. The torture would stop though, as the surge increased and in a blink exploded destroying the aquatic tomb and sending Juvia straight for as post.

The man collapsed on the floor alive, awake but gasping. His mouth evicting all the water that came in and grabbing all the air it could.

This enemy had yet again surprised them. Even Gray who was able to escape didn't stay inside Juvia's Water Lock that long and he past the point in which most would've passed out.

Dripping from all everywhere, he took a deep breath and gave out a chilling sigh. It was like Gjorums… but… different. More… cold, more spine tingling, more…. menacing.

"Gjorum was right, you people are no joke" he raised his head to look at them, his mask failing to hide his cold dagger stares through their souls.

"I must admit, that maneuver was very impressive. I may have to add that to their roster "

The display of quick recovery intimidated them for a bit, but they stood strong against such before in the form of Master Hades and they would do so again.

"Well, that was a rather fun warm up. So, let's try that again" as with his arrival blue surges of electrical energy skipped and danced around his body. This time, they were more powerful and his eyes flashed glowed blue.

His hand emerged from the void and he quickly launched a lightning bolt on Natsu, knocking him off his feet.

It reminded Natsu of his fight with Laxus quite some time ago. It excited him to know that not only was the fight not over but that it wasn't one of his friends so he didn't have to hold back. He recovered quickly and looked at his opponent as if nothing had happened.

"Now that's what I'm talking about! I'm all fired up now!" he said all excited like a child in a candy store.

"Hmph, I knew you were tougher than you looked" Gajeel shared the same sentiment and he too was excited to the prospects of a longer battle.

History has a tendency to repeat itself and so it did again. With their respective elements ready, the two Dragonsalyers unloaded a barrage of attacks on Exyle. Unlike Laxus however who just took all of their blows head on, Exyle was controlling the flow of combat. For every punch, kick, elbow, and knee that landed his hand was there to redirect it. His hands popping in and out from the void in an almost infinite amount of angles and directions….. did he have more than two arms?

Still he was forced to block some powerful ones and they were surprised to find that his body (at least the one's they could see and hit) was as hard as Gjorums even though it didn't look like it. In return, Exyle wasn't expecting their attacks to be so fast and he was still a bit drowsy from earlier.

Effectively, they stalemated each other.

It was only broken when Gray launched an Ice Geyser at him. He jumped high to avoid being impaled but was caught off guard by Elfman. The giant beast slammed him hard, but Exyle responded by quickly teleporting himself above the creature and double slam kicking him to the ground.

Gajeel unleashed his breath on him and he dodged, but was right in the middle of Natsu's Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame. Instead of escaping, he started to do a roundhouse kick but then quickly teleporting and landing his attack on Natsu's side.

The Dragonsalyer flew into a table as Exyle barely dodged a Water Slicer in mid-air from the now recovered Juvia.

He teleported to her side before being separated by Pantherlilly's enormous sword. He turned to face the Exceed only to be met with another Iron Lance from Gajeel. He couldn't confirm a hit due to the smoke before realizing that his masked target was already behind him, already into a stance and launching a lightning bolt at point blank range to his back.

The Dragonslayer didn't faint (he had gone through worse) though he was sent flying into a pole. After this, he was again caught by Lucy who ordered Scorpio to blast him with his Sand Buster. The attack was about halfway to him before he grabbed the whip and switched their places.

Lucy was blasted into the air and Exyle was internally surprised that it actually worked.

"Hey, you got me instead!" shouted Lucy.

"Woah, like sorry Lucy-san!" the celestial spirit apologized as his master crashed into the bar and fell unconscious. The distraction was more than enough for Natsu and Gajeel to come at him again. Gajeel launched another pillar at him and Nastu came from above. He acted quickly and just as he flipped Natsu in the air, he teleported above him and double slammed kick him into the oncoming piston.

He then landed on Gajeels piston (which he surprisingly found was easy to balance on) and ran directly for his head. Gajeel responded by slashing his with his iron sword but he missed. His arms crossed, Exyle grabbed them both and flipped him off his footing before unleashing another thunder bold at point blank range.

A giant shadow began to grow on him as he look behind and saw that it was Elfman who was crashing down on him with a boulder. He managed not to get crushed by the earthen mass, but was immediately met with Elfman's ferocious attacks. Though he was more nimble than the towering beast, he couldn't escape most of his large sweeping attacks.

He did his best to block and parry accordingly but in feeling the sheer power of the blows he didn't want to risk breaking his arms. Not only that, Elfman's skin was surprisingly durable in this form (he would even daresay that it was stronger than Gjorums) and striking it would only waste precious energy. After all, he wasn't the only combatant.

Thinking fast, he grabbed a chair and started using it as his weapon with great success.

"This thing is surprisingly durable" he thought to himself as he blocked and deflected blow after powerful blow.

Once he had made an opening in the monster's attacks, he quickly grabbed another chair and slammed both into the monster's head. It disoriented the best for a just second, but it was a second long enough for him to see Elfman's throat and land one precise strike to it.

It didn't cause much pain, but that was not its intended purpose.

Instead, Elfman quickly realized that he couldn't breathe. It was as if there was a vise on his throat clamping down every so tightly. Undeterred he continued to attack but without air it drained him with tremendous speed.

As a finishing blow, Exyle quickly grabbed his head and discharged a large amount of electricity into it. The large electrical flow into his brain coupled with the oxygen deprivation was more than enough to knock the beast out cold.

"Elfman!" seeing one of his friends go down gave Natsu a boost as he launched himself into a Fire Dragon's Sword Horn.

Exyle ran up to him, but instead of taking the blow for its entirety he grabbed Nasu's head as they made contact and guided him to the ground. The Dragonslayer fell face first with great force.

He had no time to rest as Pantherlilly's sword came down on him from above in almost a second. His thoughts were caught off guard but his reflexes were on point as from the void in his center he drew his sword still sheathed to meet with Pantherlilly's.

"He…..He has a sword?!"

To answer his perplexed look, Exyle deflects the Exceeds sword to the side and smacks his face with the hilt. He then clips his leg making him lose balance and then punched his square in the face.

Pantherlilly was knocked back a few feet, surprised as to the power he had. However he was undeterred and quickly stabilized himself to again attack his enemy.

Blades clashed and skills were displayed as speed was met with speed, technique smashed against technique, strength was met with refinement, two-handed ferocity clashed with one-handed tenacity, tempered steel against… actually I don't know what that scabbard is made of….. but anyway….

Every thrust was misdirected, every slash parried, all counters were countered back, some attacks were dodged others met head on.

Yet even with an impressive display, Pantherlilly couldn't help but feel annoyed. He struck him and he responded accordingly, allowing him to talk as they blades locked together.

"Am I a joke to you or something? Draw your sword human!" he demanded as their edges bit into each other.

"Perhaps next time when you're still fresh"

Fresh? What was he talking about? Whatever it was he quickly did a sweep attack with his sword which forced Exyle a great distance back. The masked man expected the Exceed to continue his offensive with his blade, but it was not the Exceeds blade but Gajeels that came for him.

He parried too late as the jagged iron sword pierced his guard and his cape and presumably into his center mass. The guild froze and waited for him to fall dead. They haven't seen Gajeel take a life ever since he joined, but the stories they heard from his former guild mates were….. mortifying. Was there really no other option? Normally this would kill a person or end the fight, but Gajeel wasn't sure where that mass exactly was since the cape hid it so well so his trike was a Hail Mary at best.

"Recovered already!?" said Exyle.

Gajeel expected his blade to taste flesh but instead he felt it deflect off something hard. Was he wearing armor? He didn't have time to think further as Exyle quickly blinded him with his cape and again blasted him with another lightning bold at point blank range(seriously he should've seen this coming by now).

(On a side note: Capes were used in real historical combat people. Look it up :D)

Instead of flying into gods know where, he was luckily caught by Pantherlilly.

"Gajeel, are you okay?"

"Tss. Yeah, that's starting to get annoying though"

"But your blade, why isn't there any blood on it?"

"I don't know. I think he's wearing armor or something"

"Well, at least now we know he has a body"

"Slippery bastard. I say we double team him"

"Agreed"

With two swords drawn and ready, they both came for him. Instead of coming from one direction they split and attacked him on two fronts.

Exyle was forced to answer blows from two tenacious enemies on two fronts. Accomplished a swordsman he may be skillfully shifting the blade from one hand to another, he couldn't escape the flurry and was fully invested in it.

Gray saw this as a chance to help his comrades.

He summoned an Ice Make : Cannon.

From his first person perspective, he aimed his cannon and fires straight and true. A few lucky shots got through and interfered with his defense allowing the two swordsman to get in a few hits though none lethal thanks to his cape.

He tried to retaliate but was then reoccupied by his two attackers. The pressure was on as he was being bombarded with sword and ice. He looked for something, anything, to help him break their determined assault.

A flash of inspiration streaked across his mind. It came to him that they were just as determined if not more to their offense. Perhaps too determined….

His defense continued but with one difference, inch by inch he discreetly started to change his position. A little step here a small maneuver there and willingly his attackers followed.

He did this few more times and when he satisfied with his observation, he set his plan into action. He left gaps in his defense to allow them to get dangerously close and when one of them took the chance he would then redirect it at the very last second to hit each other.

It worked and the siege was broken. Though not exactly free Exyle was finally able to wrestle control over the flow of battle just by a little bit but a bit more than enough. Pantherlilly's and Gray's swords were clashing with each other, sometimes a blade getting too close to vital parts, and Gray was starting to hit them both with his shots.

The mages were no fools and began to wise up after the first few hits, but it did not matter. Exyle had already locked their blades and every so swiftly pointed his hand on Gajeels head.

"Crap, not again!" was all he could say as yet another lightning bolt hit and threw him from point blank range.

With one obstacle out of the way, he now only had one sword and ice cannon to deal with.

Though concerned for his friend's wellbeing, Pantherlilly continued his offensive more determined than ever while Exyle continued his defense with his technique and his cape.

Both had proven their skill and both were beginning to tire from a worthy fight but only one could be victorious.

The battle culminated with Pantherlilly out of frustration landing powerful overhead strikes. Exhaustion caused a lapse and Exyle was stuck blocking the blows full force while still being bombarded by Gray. He could feel the shock reverberate through his arm and he knew that if his blade wouldn't break his arm would.

So with impeccable timing as Pantherlilly quickly executed another powerful overhead strike, he caught it with his blade. With a quick maneuver, de redirected the power from the blow back into the Exceeds blade giving it that little extra push to drive it deep into the ground.

His arm still sore from the blows, the masked foe grabbed a chair and flung towards Pantherlilly. The Exceed was able to dodge, but then the masked foe quickly teleported to intercept the chair and with his sword launch it back to Pantherlilly.

The Exceed had not expected such a quick retaliation and was disoriented for a quick second. When he realized it, Exyle was already in front of him.

"Seven Seals: Heaven Raijin Strike"

Exyle entered into a stance and with sword still undrawn performed his technique. He first uppercuts both of Pantgherlilly's shoulders. Wasting no movement, he stabbed his chest which exposed his center mass. With a slash to the stomach he forced the Exceed to crunch. Drawing his blade back, he slashed him one side of his head (more specifically the temple) and then the other but slashing it at an angle that allowed him to raise his blade high along with the Exceed's head for a quick second before crashing down dead center unto his crown, calling down lightning for good measure..

It a few seconds it was over. The strong and worthy Pantherlilly fell, defeated and unconscious. Exyle stood victorious over his foe, battered and wishing to the gods that he could duel such an adversary again under proper conditions.

Yet there can be no rest for the weary in the ever shifting art of war especially if one is an artist for in his short victory he failed to notice a large fireball coming right for him. He was blasted back and before he slammed into a post he was able to stabilize himself though pain still coursed through his body.

His cape had protected him from getting charred but not from the impact. Looking back, he saw that it was Natsu ready to fight again.

"How the bloody hell are you people recovering so quickly?!" his question was immediately answered when he saw at the far back the ever loveable Wendy healing Gajeel.

"Well that explains it" ignoring the pain, he charged straight for the girl.

"Oh no you don't" he never was able to reach her as he was caught in the spikes of Gray's Ice Make: Geyser. Immobilized but not impaled, he teleports himself out and shifts his focus to the elemental mage.

"You again" he saw that the mage had an Ice Make : Lance on one hand an and Ice Make sword on another. Gray expected him to fight him like he did Pantherlilly, but to his surprise the sword that befell the Exceed was returned inside the void.

"You're not gonna fight with that?" the ice mage asked.

"I don't think I would need it for you"

"That's pretty cocky"

"Is it arrogance on my part or overestimation on yours ?"

"Hmph. Don't say I didn't warn you"

"Prove me wrong then"

Gray immediately answered the challenge: Slashing, stabbing, swiping, and doing any attack he could to get him. Unfortunately his attacks fell on wind and ghosts.

The only time when he did make contact was when his masked foe grabbed both his weapons and locked them in place.

"Hmmmmm, not bad but a lot to be desired" electrical energy began to discharge into the ice mage as he struggled to free himself until he was able to finally kick Exyle away. .

He wasn't hurt that bad per-se, but something felt…. off about that lightning. Regardless he re-engaged.

This time though, instead of dodging he deflected all the blows. The harder the ice mage seem to hit the harder it seemed to hit back for him. The exchanged continued until Gray's rhythm was intercepted and he like the others was tossed high up into the air with a simple flick of the wrist.

Undeterred, he smashed his ice creations and formed a giant Ice Make: Hammer.

With all the force he could muster, he brought the hammer down only for him to miss.

With his back opened, the masked foe aimed his hand ready to unleash another arcane bolt.

From up above Natsu came to save his friend, but even with fists ablaze he wasn't able to reach in time. As the power surged from Exyles hand, it cracked the air around it as it bolted into Gray and launched him.

However, it was not without cost and as payment he was sent flying in return.

The blow was solid and strong. The pain coursed through his body but both his mask and resolve hid it well. Natsu was neither shocked nor dismayed instead he looked livelier than a while ago.

"That healing mage is rather effective. Once I deal with her, this one should stop being a pain" he thought to himself as Natsu bombarded him with Dragonsalyer moves.

Yet unlike a while ago some of them were beginning to connect rather hard. Had the Drgaonslayer been holding back up to this point or was it merely fatigue finally catching up? Regardless, something had to be done.

He let the arcane energy flow through his hands as it was his turn to retaliate and test the Drgaonslayer's defense. Lightning clashed with fire, creating an orchestra of color as his hands came in from weird angles and with ferocious speed.

Luckily for Natsu, he knew how to take a hit and told himself that the blows didn't really hurt. As it went on, he noticed that his fire was starting to die. As every blow came in, more and more of his fire just seemed to disappear. He wasn't feeling that much pain, but he was starting to feel…. lethargic. It was as if….

BAM!

A lapse in his concentration was all Exyle needed for him to get a blow through.

Then another… then another… then another….

His blows seemed to get stronger, faster, and more precise. It would seem that he was holding back as well. Natsu tried to retaliate, but it was what Exyle wanted and with a simple maneuver he tripped the Drgaonslayer.

Natsu was spread on the ground with a boot to his throat before and lightning in his body before he knew it. Looking around, he saw that Juvia was available and as such went for her.

"Hey….Ju…..Juvia…. a….litlle ….ack…..help"

Hearing the asphyxiating cry of her friend, she unleashed a Water slicer on the dominating man and forced him to teleport away. She ran to his side and put a bubble on his head to help him breath.

A few moments later, Natsu was up and ready.

"Ahhhhh, thanks Juvia. Looks like you finally got that spell right"

"Well, Juvia had a lot of time to perfect it thanks to you Natsu-san"

"No problem Juvia. I've always been happy to help you"

He jumped to his feet and just like that he was ready to fight again.

"Fwwwuuahhh! Man, you're heavier than you look. What the hell is your mother feeding you?" he casually looked to his opponent who was choking him earlier. He had to admit, this fight was very interesting.

His opponent, however, was starting to get a bit annoyed thanks in part to his own exhaustion.

"I'll show you myself after I finally subjugate you"

"Eeehh? You think I'm gonna go down that easily?"

"Who said I wanted it easy?"

"Heh, now that's what I'm talking about! Hoy Juvia, you ready to take him on?"

"Juvia would find it a pleasure to fight by you Natsu-san"

"Hmph! NOW I'M ALL FIRED UP!"

"Juvia will make you pay for hurting Gray-sama!"

"Tch! So troublesome" said Exyle..

He expected another drawn out brawl, but he was surprised to find that the two mages were rather swift and coordinated. When fire came from above, water would approach from below. The fire would blind, and the water would strike and then vice-versa, Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang came from one side while Water Slicers would come from another.

Forcing himself through the creeping tiredness he was able to dodge, deflect, parry, and outright block as before. Both his cape and his maneuvers proved to be too tight for the two mages to crack alone.

"Hey Juvia, this isn't working! I suggest we try…. You know…."

"Eh? Are you sure Natsu-san? I mean, what about Gray-sama?"

"That icicle head is out, besides we've done this plenty of times! I trust you Juvia"

"…Alright. If Natsu-san trusts Juvia, then Juvia will have to do the same"

"Alright! Let's do this!"

They attacked and again surprised Exyle when their attacks were coming in together. His lightning provided him a shield against the most serious injury but he could still feel the scolding water burn his fair skin and the steam cloud his vision.

Juvia and Natsu's unison attacks had great effect, their enemy was starting to look sloppy and disoriented. They saw an opening and unleashed the unison raid they were practicing in their off time.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

"Water Lock!"

The blazing infernal ball flew through the air as a sphere of water cocooned it. The fire was neither extinguished not the water evaporated as both elements traveled in relative stability towards their intended goal.

The attack hit its mark, almost exploding as scolding water spilled all over and thick steam covered the area.

"Hoy, Gray! Your turn to do something!"

"Alright, Alright!" the ice mage got up from him spot and jumped high into the air. He summoned his trusty Ice Make: Cannon to his side and then summoned multiple targeting reticules all over the area. With a might shout, he unleashed his attack.

"Ice Make: Tactical Barrage!" he fired unto the reticules and in turn they shattered into hundreds of deadly projectiles effectively saturating the area with heavy fire.

Juvia let out a squeal as she thought it looked cool.

"Wow Gray-sama! That was one of the best attacks Juvia has ever seen!"

"Eh, it was nothing. Still though, when you and Natsu learn to fight like that?"

"Heh, you should really try hanging out more with Juvia like I do , Gray. She's a very fun person"

"Juvia, is that true?" Gray asked.

"Indeed. Juvia was hesitant at first, but Natsu-san makes for excellent company when Gray-sama is not around or with love rival….. Huh?!"

"Juvia, what's wrong?" the ice mage asked.

"Juvia feels something wrong"

Her emotions were proven true as blue lightning dispersed the steam and dust. What emerged was their opponent, still standing. His cape may have been torn up a bit and his hat surprisingly still intact (I gotta say that is one tough straw hat) but a still standing and ready to fight.

"*pant**pant**pant*Interesting maneuver that was using water and fire in tandem" he says nothing more as he simply picks up and ice shard and discharges electricity into it. The bolt very quickly traveled to the ground where the water was and he was satisfied he looked at his dumbfounded foes.

"Now allow me to repay you for such an astounding performance" he quickly teleports and kicks Natsu into a wall.

Quickly reacting, the ice and water mage engage him with Exyle merely teleporting around them and blocking their blows but never moving from the spot before teleporting in between them. Juvia is the first to react and unleashes a Water Cane on him. Exyle then pulls off a stunning maneuver by grabbing Gray as he was in the middle of his ice make and directed him into Juvia's water cane.

The water froze and trapped both Juvia and Gray.

Exyle teleported away and just as they broke free he snapped his fingers and trapped them in a pyramid of electricity.

Earlier when he was teleporting, he was also casting runes on where he stepped around the mages as they were too focused on attacking him to look down. With the chain complete, their masked foe unleashed his trap.

"Discharge Ziggurat!" jumping high into the air, he summoned a lightning bolt in his hand like the Olympian god of old and hurled it into the apex of the pyramid. Instinctively, Gray hugged Juvia (to her sheer excitement) to protect her as the bolt ricocheted inside the pyramid and into them. It didn't melt through them as they thought, but it was excruciating pain at its finest.

Valorous it may be, it was not enough to completely protect the water maiden and they both fell unconscious as the bolt continued its torturous rampage.

"I say this is the first time someone who was inside this thing smiled that big. Seriously, what on earth is wrong with this girl?" the smile only seemed to grow bigger even though they were both technically unconscious. Was it a natural reflex for this her or something?

Potential masochistic display aside (and the fact that it kinda creeped him out), he turned his gaze to the remaining combatants left…. the three Drgaonslayers.

"And then there were three"

* * *

Natsu counted the bodies around him and knew the Exyle was right. It was just him, Wendy, and Gajeel that were left to stand to the masked man.

He was feeling a rather mixed as on one hand this was one of the most intense fights he has ever been in and was having the time of his life while on the other his friends were falling like flies left and right. Not only that, there was still an invasion going on outside and it was up to them to stop him and that other guy.

"I gotta say, you're pretty good"

"And you as well. You have all proven your valor and your honor, so I ask again: for your sake surrender"

"Tch, you're saying stupid things again. What, are the punches getting to your head?"

"Oh well, one cannot be faulted for trying again. A pity I have to end such interesting warriors"

"Heh, now your making sense!"

His offer of surrender again rejected, the two mages clashed with ferocity and vigor. From the roof to the walls on tables and even the ceiling beams, thunderous might smashed against flaming vigor as both elements tied for domination.

Natsu's raw power was met with Exyle's technique, his destructive prowess met with creative counters, and his unending determination constantly turned on him by an unbreakable resolve.

The stalemate, however, was costing the guild hall dearly and rubble started to rain all around them. Be it one way or another, this had to end here.

To Natsu's fortune, Wendy was able to fully heal Gajeel and both joined him in the assault.

"Natsu, Gajjel take this!" drawing power from the air she casted her support spells.

With Deus Corona her body was resistant against the lightning.

With Armor their defense became tougher.

With Arms their might was enhanced.

With Vernier they rode on the wind.

Their blows hit a lot harder, their bodies were like striking steel, and their speed was more than a match for his. The enhancements meant that not only could they catch up, but that they finally had an upper edge overall.

They fought like Dragons: fierce, powerful, primal, and almost unstoppable.

But like every beast, there was always a soft underbelly and that in this case was Wendy. So long as she stood, then they could not be broken so easily.

Drawing deep into himself, he fought hard through fire and steel until the maelstrom gave him the small opening he needed to get her.

He gave chase with the two on his tail. Exyle thought his legs would give out first, but to his fortune the Vernier cast earlier was waning. Inch by inch they were lagging behind as Wendy was too busy running to recast it on them.

Slowly but surely he was getting closer and closer until he was finally able to grab her ankle and throw her to the ground. Injured, he pounced for the kill but was saved as Gajeel came to her rescue and Natsu bombarded him with fireballs.

As the fight continued, he saw that the smog outside was growing more intense. Explosions could be seen rising high into the air and he knew that every second he spent in here was more territory and people that Gjorum was literally burning to the ground.

This had to end. Now.

The three noticed that he was getting slower. His attacks beginning to miss a lot. His lightning was wavering down. His breathing was becoming heavier.

They knew that they were close to beating him. He looked like he would collapse at any moment and the Draonslayers did not hesitate to take the chance.

"Everyone, NOW!" Gajeel pinned him with his Iron Drgaon Lance and opened the chance for the killing blow.

"You won't be getting out of this one!" he took the time to invest all the extra magic he could and made the largest fireball of the fight.

As the flaming ball spiraled into a greater mass, Wendy gathered her strength for one of the biggest dragon breath of her life.

The pinned man tried to escape, he struggled and looked like he was out of magic. And in instant the Dragonslayers unleashed their warth.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

"Sky Dragons Roar!"

With the mouth of hell coming from one side and a wrathful hurricane approaching for another, it looked like them masked man held down by an unbreakable pillar of iron was finished. They had triumphed, a tough battle it was but they had won.

All war is based on deception. Words no truer spoken thousands of years ago that shall forever hold in every war to come. It was also said by the same war artist that one must be so subtle that one is invisible, so mysterious that one becomes intangible, and only then shall you control your rivals fate.

Now why am I saying this you may ask? Well my dear audience, I ask in return if you were paying attention.

You see my fellow readers, sometimes the best way to win against someone who wants something from you so bad is to simply give it to him.

The Dragonslayers were looking for any sign of weakness as this would normally lead to victory and so he gave it to them in full and more.

But it was not by their merits mind you but by his own hand. The truth was presented to them and they gladly took it, but in their desperate grab for the truth the subtle details were missed perfectly. By looking so exhausted, he discreetly positioned himself into a spot in which there was absolutely no room to normally maneuver. He made it apparent that he was not going to stay in one spot forever so someone had to pin him down, luckily for him it was the best candidate of the three. With a snap of his fingers he repeated the lesson he taught earlier to Lucy.

Gajeel was now in his place and vice versa. His arm acted as a weight that kept him down and there was no room for him to move out from the spot. Wind and fire came together upon the Iron Dragonsalyer before he quickly moved for Wendy. She tried to retreat but felt only the solid wall behind her. She had nowhere to go for Exyle earlier made it that way when he slammed her there.

It was too late to cast Vernier and she had nowhere to run. She was cornered and at his mercy as he grabbed her by the face and unleashed a gigaton of electrical power into her. He then picked her up and threw her towards Gajeel who was on his knees.

He intercepted the pair created a lightning chain that shackled their necks. To finish the maneuver, he created a third connection and hung them from a ceiling beam as he held it down with a magical circle.

The guild became gallows for the two Drgaonsalyers as they struggled for air and consciousness. The more they struggled the more the discharge and Natsu could only watch as their strength and their magic slowly drained from them.

"An interesting trick this one. All the fun of being hung by the gallows without your neck actually breakling. None of the death and twice the experience. I call it the Thunder Gallows"

Natsu couldn't say a word. All he could do as listen to the man and the agonizing screams of his two fellow Dragonsalyers and realize that…..

"Yes, you're all alone now. Your friends have either fallen or are being tortured and with each passing second you fight you prolong their agony"

He was right. Natsu knew he was right.

"Last chance Fioren: Will you yield?"

He was paralyzed. He didn't know what to do. What could he do? The choked words of Wendy gave him the answer.

"Na….Na….Naukscu….don…..gvvvrrkk….uunnnmmpp"

It broke hi from his trance. She was right, he wasn't going to give up. He was going to move forward, he was going to fight like he always does.

Saying nothing, he prepared his hands to launch another Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame.

"So be it"

Natsu defiantly launched his attack and Exyle quickly dodged, but both realized that the attack was heading towards the injured bystanders outside.

Natsu panicked as he was about to kill people, but that panic was replaced by astonishment as Exyle quickly ran towards the fireball and caught it with a lightning lasso. With all his strength he swung the fireball away from the crowd and back into the guild hall.

Coincidently, Lucy had finally awoken but was greeted with a giant infernal ball coming towards her.

"Oh come on!" was all she could say as the fireball knocked her out unconscious again.

The feat drained his stamina and manna plenty, but in his mind he had saved innocent bystanders and that made it all worth it.

He quickly teleported back into the guild and made a grave tactical error.

The moment he got back, Natsu was already about to accomplish a full Fire Dragon Roar right at him.

The world seemed to slow down for a bit as he pondered as to what to do. Would he take the attack full on? No, he wasn't sure his body would last. Maybe he could block? No, it wasn't going to do much. Teleport away? No it was too late for that.

Blast! What could he do? All the options in his head were insufficient! He thought harder and just as Natsu unleashed his breath, he remembered the symbol of an owl and….

The spiraling mass of fire bore down on the surprised man. Natsu gave it his all in the attack which was sure to finish him. The masked man did the same, concentrating his magical reserve into his hands as he clapped them together.

As the fiery mass finally reached him, he concentrated all his focus into a single point as he spearheaded both his hands to meet it head on. The Drgaonsalyers breath split into two as it broke through the guild wall and disintegrated an entire block of buildings.

The Dragonsalyer kept on as Exyle kept his focus. He was being pushed back and some of the breath passed through his hands slightly burning the side of his mask and his hat.

As he felt Natsu's breath begin to die down, he quickly split his hands just as they were about to give in and split the remaining blast away from him.

Natsu was beyond shocked to see that he was still standing. Badly burnt but still on his feet.

"How did you…"

"What you cannot absorb, you deflect. A lesson I learned well from the mystic Eastern masters "

He then charged the Dragonsalyer and the both began to brawl. He got in some good blows while Natsu did the same.

"I must say, that was an impressive magical attack"

He landed a blow.

"Not as powerful as Gjorum"

Natsu landed another blow but was left open.

"But just as persistent"

Exyle exploited the opening and struck Natsu. The strike wasn't painful, but something else entirely.

A cold started to run through his arm. A cold that he couldn't understand. Why was he feeling cold right now? He ignored it and tried to punch… But nothing happened.

That can't be right. He tried again….. and the same result. Nothing he did made his arm move.

Quickly, Exyle struck his other arm and it too fell prey to this strange sorcery. Natsu tried his best to move them both, but it was as if his arms were no longer there.

Without sopping he struck him all over and slowly Natsu felt like he was taking chunks of his body with every one of them. Finally, his legs gave in and he was forced to his knees.

"I….I can't….. move….What…did you…. do?!"

"That Fioren was what the mystic Easterners called Kyusho, pressure point fighting. By striking specific areas of the body, one can disable it without piercing the skin. In brief, the more you struggle the harder it becomes"

Natsu didn't understand what he was talking about and tried to fight his way out, but just as he said: the harder he tried the harder his body kept him there.

"You won't be moving anything for a while …. which is enough time to finish you off"

Natsu struggled desperately, but his body would not obey and even punished him for it. All he could do was watch as Exyle raised his hand for what looked like a fatal blow. He shut his eyes and awaited the finishing strike only to be saved by the plea an angelic voice.

"NO…. STOP!"

Surprised, the two turned to see Mirajane helped up by her sister.

"Please…. Don't hurt him anymore!" she pleaded.

"Mira…..Lissana…Run!"

Exyle carefully inspected both of them and came to the conclusion that the one with the injured one was the white haired girl Gjorum told him to look out for.

"I take it you're the one who fought Gjorum?"

"Yes…. Please, don't hurt him or any of them anymore!" she begged.

"And why would I do that?"

"Please…. Their my family!"

"Family….." Exyle lowered his hand and began and began to ponder to himself for a while. Not long after, he looked at the maiden again.

"Do you speak for them milady? "

She nodded her head.

"Yes, they'll listen to me"

"In that case, you must know that thrice I offered the hand of surrender and thrice it was returned. Under our normal rules of war, I am now obliged as the victor to claim their lives and their heads as my trophy "

"No….no…"

Mira's heart dropped. So he was going to do it. What's worse, he was going to take their heads!

She wanted to fight, but couldn't even stand. She wasn't going to make her sister fight for she was injured as well. Other than her, their strongest guild mates were not around when they needed them most.

Was their truly no way to save them? Would she have to bury and mourn them all like she did with Lissana? No, just Lissana broke her heart. Any more than that would send her to the grave with them. She just couldn't take it… she wouldn't take it. Tears began to form on her eyes as she gave in to despair but were quickly stopped when he spoke again.

"However….." her heart jumped. What was he going to say? For a moment, hope returned to her.

With his hand, he slowly caressed the burnt side of his mask for permanent damage before looking back at the injured maiden.

"There is … an alternative"

* * *

From a hill overlooking the city, men of war gathered to continue their duty surrounded by tents, supplies, and captured civilians. From this mass of warriors emerged Gjorum, taking in the view of a city that was burning to the ground.

"*inhale* Ahhhhh, I love the smell of charred homes, burning hopes and medium rare corpses!" he thought that by giving his toys to Exyle his day was going to be ruined. But by luck there was enough people and homes for him to play with which was able to restore his mood.

Not only that, he was quickly able to organize his forces and quickly take almost half of the city.

"HA! Take that you masked four eyed freak!"

"Well speak of the devil!"

From the distance, he had seen the companion he had just insulted. However, he was not alone for behind him were a helpless and broken horde of humanity. What caught the Purifier's eye, however, was a certain group of mages.

As the masked man finally reached the edges of the camp, he called forth one of the warriors.

"Captain, I have more prisoners of war. Give them food and house them in the supply tents. Summon more if needed. The most critically injured are to be prioritized by all non-deployed Medicants. If someone tries to escape, you know my policy correct?"

"Yes my lord! One time sent back, the second time sent through the heart!" he called some of his subordinated to escort the civilians to Exyle's side of the camp.

"Well done"

"Well, well, well look who finally got here"

"Good to see you alive too Gjorum"

"You look terrible. They gave you that much trouble huh?" seeing them all beaten and sore made his heart jump with glee. It was only a shame that he wasn't the one to do it.

"They were more than worthy adversaries. I can see why you wanted to fight them"

"Still do and maybe I will when you're not looking" he licked his lips and made sure that they could see it. Their reactions made him smile a toothy smile as the thoughts of how he could slowly torture them while defenseless ran through his mind especially towards Mirajane.

They were quickly dispersed as Exyle quickly stood in his way.

"You know the Alpha Predatores Principia Gjorum. Their my prey "

"Really?"

The two stared long and hard into each other until finally Gjorum backed off.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I've had my fill for now, besides I've got a whole playpen full of toys" he looked to his captured civilians and gave them a huge toothy smile that scared them,

"Oh I am SO going to have fun with them"

Elfman tried to get him for calling people toys, but he was quickly stopped by Exyles hand.

"And I explained to you the Honorable Passage. Unless of course you would like to be left to the mercy of an entire armed encampment"

Elfman held himself back but couldn't help but be angry and clenched his fist to hewlp hold it down.

"Honorable Passage huh? Man you were always old school " Gjorum blurted out. Ignoring him, he called the captain.

"Captain are you still there?"

"Yes my lord!"

"Bring these lot to my tent and guard them until I arrive"

"I shall obey!" the captain summoned more of his subordinates and escorted the Fairy Tail mages to the tent.

As he escorted them off, Gjorum looked back at is fellow commander.

"Well Mr. I Work Alone , looks like you almost bit off more than you can chew"

"I do admit, I believe I was running on fumes during the final part"

"Nah, you're just a masochist"

"Especially for that pink one, he's reminds me of you in many ways"

"What, Scarf Boy? Nah I'm sure I'm way stronger than him"

"He's just as stubborn , perhaps more"

"Should've let me deal with then and let me kill the white haired one"

"She goes by the name of Mirajane just so you know"

"Mirajane…. Aw Damn now I KNOW I've heard that somewhere before! Hey, can I punch them for answers? You owe me for taking my fun away"

"Firstly, that was of your own doing. Secondly, if she alone gave you all that damage when even 100 of our highly trained men could do a scratch at most then do you honestly believe that you could have triumphed against them and her"

"Pssshh. Sure! Why not? I mean, it would've been worth a try right?"

"*sigh* Indeed and you may have been defeated and I would've had to carry the entire invasion like last time"

"Aha MAY have. You admit I could've ripped them a new one!"

"I suppose"

"But I wanna know though, how did you get Scarf Boy to back down? If he really is kinda like me, then I'm willing to bet that he said something like 'We would rather die than surrender!' or something that cheesy "

"Quite close actually. With a little ruse on my part regarding the life of the civilians and with some words of support from miss Mirajane he was quick to hold his tongue ….. that and a little Kyusho on my part"

"You clever bastard"

"Don't you mean, magnificent bastard?"

"Nah, just clever. Like hell I'm saying your magnificent"

"*chuckle* Fair enough"

The Fairy Tail mages were led inside a tent and when they were led inside they were surprised to find it bigger than what was portrayed outside. They had heard of tents like these from a far distant wizard school that teach their pupils to use wands but were only now seeing one. Guess the magic was common outside of Fiore.

They were greeted with an elegant and comfortable design with swords and skulls decorating some of the furniture. The warriors led them to a corner and gave them food while they guarded them.

A while later, night had fallen and Exyle finally arrived inside the tent.

"Thank you men. That will be all"

They warriors saluted him and left the Fairy Tail mages to their commander.

"Welcome to my temporary personal forward command center. I take it you're all comfortable?"

"What are you going to do with us?" asked Lissana.

"That is for morning to reveal Madam Lissana. Now rest and eat, for you will need it " he walked in a straight line in front of them and with every step he cast a magical ring. After doing so he also started waving his hand and casting runes in front of the magical circles.

"What's that?" Pantherlilly asked.

"Insurance" he turned to leave but then quickly turned back.

"Oh dear, I do apologize for almost forgetting you" he went to Natsu who was still frozen and in Mirajane's arms. He reached for the vulnerable mage and Mirajane, feeling that he could be trusted now, did not stop him.

He struck the Drgaonsalyer a few times before he quickly jumped up and tried to punch him. Luckily, Exyle still had his speed and was able to jump behind his barriers.

"Nice try"

He then walked out of the tent but not before giving them all one final message.

"But I do ask of you to not try any further, after all both our honor is on the line and even if you do find a way through my runes well…" lightning struck from the outside, quickly flashing to the mages a tall spiderlike creature with what looked like a human on top but they couldn't be sure for it was gone in an instant.

"The warriors awaiting you shall be the least of your concerns. Good evening to you all and please try not to-" Happy accidently breaks a cup.

"Break….anything. That was porcelain too "with a swish of his cape he left the mages to eat, recover, and wonder.

* * *

Hours pass with the Fairy Tail mages passing time with sleep and playing with the other trinkets that were available to them until morning finally broke through the cracks of the tent. It was still about an hour or so before Exyle would re-emerge to them with a heavy escort.

"Good morning everyone, I trust you are all well?"

"Let us out of here will ya? I'm so booooored" Natsu complained.

"I'm rather surprised you recovered so quickly"

"Yeah, because when I get out I'm rematch with you"

"Perhaps another time. I'm certain your friends explained to as to why you're still alive?"

"Yeah" Natsu let out a side of defeat. He really wanted to try him again, one on one. But it was out of his hands.

"So, how does thing…honor passage thing work?"

"If you would all please follow me outside" tired and outnumbered, the Fairy Tail mages complied. The daylight revealing the extent of destruction to their beloved Magnolia. Some entire patches of city just looked like a pile of ash.

The scene tore their hearts so for they knew that it was their failure that allowed it. Their guild, their home, it was all gone. So this is what a real war is like huh? The war with Phantom Lord was nothing compared to this.

Daylight also revealed that the encampment had grown or at least they were finally able to see it all. The sheer number of warriors and weapons gave the Fairy Tail mages an example as to the sheer scale of the enemy they were fighting.

They were finally lead to the edge of the camp where they met Gjorum relaxing on a tree and the surviving garrison.

"Good morning folks! Glad to see you're not dead. That means I can still have fun with you" Gjorum said.

"He won't do anything so long as I stand here"

"Pfftt. Killjoy"

"Anyway, let the formalities commence"

All the warriors faced them and Exyle brought out his undrawn sword and held it up high.

"I, Exyle Night, Right Hand of his imperial majesty upon my honor as a warrior and to those I have brought to witness hereby invoke the Honorable Passage to my adversaries for their rather exceptional show of honor in the field of war. Let it be known that they have proven their worth in combat, that it was by my hand that they were defeated and that it is by my hand that I leave them their lives. Fellow warriors, though we stand on the different sides of war, may - "

"My lord! My lord!" a badly tattered warrior came in running and interrupted the formality.

"Captain, we are in the middle of the formality. This had better be important"

"Forgive me my lord, but I bring a message from the Sorien front!"

"Sorien? That town is at least two days away from here. You traveled on foot?"

"Yes my lord. I had to get here as quickly as I could"

"Well, speak your piece Captain"

"Yes, my lord. I came to say that then entire Warband has been defeated"

"Say that again Captain"

"My lord, the entire Warband has been defeated"

After confirming his words, the nearby warriors began to whisper among themselves and even Gjorum grew interested. He got down from his tree and listened closer.

"Has the Fioren military mobilized already? How many were there? Any other wepoans we may not have known about?"

"That's the thing my lord, it wasn't the Fioren army. It was just one person"

This shocked everybody, including Exyle. Did he just say one person?

"Captain a Warband is at least 100 units strong. Are you telling me that one person singlehandedly defeated 60 warriors, 10 artillery units, and a combination 30 Centrions and Dragoons? "

"We couldn't believe ourselves my lord"

Now hearing that almost put the nearby warriors in an uproar. Was a monster like that really in Fiore? Was there only one?

"*whistle* Damn this one sounds tough! My blood's starting to boil just from hearing it!" Gjorum said all giddy with excitement.

"What is this person like Captain?" while such was cause of fear among the regular warriors, Exyle was curious and though his mask wouldn't show it he was slightly excited as well.

"I couldn't get a clear look of her face, but she was so fast. She made it rain swords from the sky and she could make weapons out of nothing! She was a monster, an absolute monster my lord!

"Hot dang and a girl to boot! Now I really want to meet her!"

The men's uproar was starting to get louder and Exyle couldn't hear himself think. He quieted them down and asked the captain another question.

"Calm yourself Captain. What else can you tell us about her ?"

"She had red hair. That's all I could see before she took down everybody"

"Hmmmmm… very well captain. Get some rest and some clothes, we'll discuss how to save your men later"

"I shall obey my lord!" the injured warrior disappeared from sight and Exyle continued on like nothing happened.

"Now where was I…..Ah yes"

"Fellow warriors, though we stand on the different sides of war, may we one day again fight in glorious combat either as foe or as friend. 'Till then, I send you off into the hands of fate"

He returned his sword to his side.

"Wait….. that's it?" Gajeel asked.

"Why yes… that's all. Though do not expect for me to call on this passage again so easily the next time we fight"

"So what happens now?" asked Pantherlilly. He still wasn't sure whether they were going to leave alive since his few experiences in his many campaigns where he was stabbed in the back. It cost him men there and he would not want that to happen to his friends.

"The civilians shall remain in our care while I send all you combatants to a designated location a good distance away from the invasion site. After that you are free to do as you wish"

"And where do you plan on sending us?" Charles was concerned about Wendy's wounds and making them walk a very long distance would be a difficult for the young Dragonslayer. Luckily for her and all of them, they didn't have too.

"After looking at the surrounding area I was able to determine a good location. It goes by the name of Oshibana. Not only is it well settled but it's in close proximity to a large city which I presume has more than sufficient medical magic for you and the garissoners to make a full recovery"

"Well and here I was thinking you would sent us to the middle of nowhere"

"Nothing so cruel Madam Charles. Though I could with ease I'm no savage… when I don't have to be "

He holds his hand out and casts a large magical circle around them. The mysterious runes and numerous intricate shapes dance around in a harmony of light as sparks of non-lethal lightning jumps around like a frolicking child.

"Oh and before I send you off do you perhaps know anything about this….red warrior that rains swords from the sky? "

Natsu was about to speak, but was quickly hushed by Mirajane.

"None that we know of" she replied to him. He saw the obvious ploy, but let his suspicion go.

"Very well. I bid you farewell for now and until we meet again… Fairy Tail " with a snap of his fingers they were gone in an instant, traveling hundreds of miles to a fate unknown for both them and him.

"Men, return to the city and secure our part"

"Yes my lord!" the band dispersed leaving the Hand and the Purifier alone.

"Those guys must've been reaaaalllllyyy impressive for you to go and do all that"

"You should've been there"

"Yeah that's the thing, I wasn't because of you"

"That's still your fault you know it"

"Bah whatever! I'll have some fun with my catch of civies and maybe go back in the city for more. What are you gonna do?"

"I will secure our defenses since you'll be busy goofing off. Not only have that, I now have to worry about this… Red Swordsman and wonder what other monsters roam this little land "

Even if they didn't tell him, he felt in his gut and in his blade that she would come to him be it one way or another.

This Blitzkrieg was far from over.

* * *

 **And with that, the story ends for now. I hope it entertained and brought joy to you my fellow Fairy Tail fans. Feel free to praise, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit and t** **hus I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell and long live Fairy Tail.  
**


	10. Chapter 10 - Licking Wounds

**3 months of silence...I never knew how low one may get in disappointment in ones self and have no words hurtful enough to say. But they were months well spent with December being the holidays, January being the New year, and February being Valentines (an unimportant holiday for me but useful for it's chocolate sales and break). I had planned to finish by February but I have yet again proven to eloquent for my own good.**

 **Yet it was not only the months that had gotten me but a rather "popular" that had drawn my attention as well. I shall not say but this game has influenced me greatly over the past months and I leave that for you to decipher here.**

 **I also wish to announce that I have at least the next 12 chapters planned out for this story so more can be accomplished in regards to this story in amuch quicker pace... relatively speaking. Such was a result of the experiment that I had conducted on the previous chapters and I do say it was rather successful and I will use it henceforth.**

 **Expect more stories that may come up regarding other fandoms in the future. After all I do require a break and perhaps writing different material should suffice.**

 **WolfGaming chapter 9 . 14h ago**

 **Quite the good chapter. Although I do have 2 questions 1. Wouldn't Natsu go into dragon force considering the situation? The the second question is isn't Natsu and Erza around the same power level? I apologize if I got the information wrong it has been a quick minute since you updated, and I tend to be forgetful at times.**

 **Good to see you again. Hope you're doing well. Regarding your first question: Prior to Natsu leaning how to going into Dragon Force by will, he still had to ingest a catalyst to do that from things like Etherion. He's still at this stage considering this takes place directly after the Tenroujima Arc (last good arc of the show if you ask me XD). In short, I'm doing my best to keep their powers within that timeline…. for now.**

 **Regarding your next question, technically Natsu was always more powerful because all Erza could do is summon weapons and maybe use telekinesis while he could summon fire making him the weapon. Erza, however, was always stronger because she was always more skilled in combat so it doesn't necessarily translate. I'll show how different it is in later chapters. Also, as they said in Dragon Ball Z , "Power levels don't mean much"**

 **Oh and a critique/comment would always be helpful so please do not hesitate to leave one**

 **But my ramblings aside,** **Please ready yourselves. Relax your mind, and do enjoy the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium Encounter**

* * *

Oshibana. For many it was where we saw our heroes for the first time. The place where Natsu and his team took down Eichenwald, their first dark guild and by their heroism saved the town.

A town that, on this day, shall return that debt in kind.

Many were not expecting a giant , crackling, magical circle near their main train station but all were wary. The train was their central structure both economically and culturally. Not only that, it connected them to the nearest guild, Blue Pegasus, and was one of the major railway systems in the country.

The garrison poured out from their holds and quickly enveloped the area. The civilians were held back and the circle was secured on all flanks as it began to crackle with arcane energy. Slowly but surely it touched the ground and with a resounding boom of thunder brought our ragged heroes into Oshibana.

"Stop right there! Identify yourselves!" the captain of the garrison yelled. Their weapons held tightly in hand, they were ready to engage at a moment's notice.

The dust settled and revealed not a foe set out to do harm but a familiar face that needed aid.

"Wait…. Fairy Tail guild? Why are you here and why are there so many of you?"

Charles was the first to speak and her tone commanded both urgency and authority. In short, her usual voice.

"All questions to be answered in due time, but as of right now your fellow garrisoners need sufficient medical assistance"

"What do you mean, all my men are accounted for"

"I don't refer to the ones you command, but your fellow men in arms"

She directed their attention to the broken and wounded soldiers that came with them. Though they were no longer in critical condition, they were by no means combat ready and Exyle made sure of that. Immediately, the captain recognized one of them.

"Struv? Is that you? What the hell happened to you dude?"

"Heh…. Remember when I asked for excitement? Yeah, I got what I asked for ….. It cost me an arm and a leg though. Well technically only an arm before they grew it back"

"I don't understand. Where's the rest of you?"

"We ARE the rest of them. Everyone else is…..is…." the man chocked on his own words when he again realized that all his friends are dead.

"Their all…."He tried to speak again but he just couldn't.

"All our friends, all our classmates from training, their all…..all…"

"Well….. spit it out man!" the captain demanded, although he already had an idea as to what happened he was hoping that it wasn't true.

"Dead! All of them….gone. Marcus, Sevene, Javis, Lura EVERYBODY! We couldn't do anything, I couldn't save any of them. They were everywhere I tell you, everywhere! And the monsters… the monsters…by the gods we can't even bury them!"

"Struv…."

"They're all dead… They're all dead … They're all dead …"

On and on he repeated those words. Each time drilling it into all those who heard. The Oshibana garrison could do nothing to comfort their comrades and the civilians were starting to get rowdy. What could've done something to such men? Was it coming for them next?

"Human. Human. Human!" Charles demanding tone broke the captain out of his trance.

"This man is clearly too traumatized to be of any use. I suggest you take my advice from earlier as quickly as possible"

She was right. Though they was shaken from the bad news, he was still a trained garrisoner and a captain no less. He had a job to do and a city to protect.

"Oh…. Um… right. Guys come with me. That includes you too Fairy Tail"

Having no home to go back to, they all followed flanked on both sides by the worried comments and stares of the Oshinaban citizens.

* * *

It was high noon when they finally reached the main garrison building of the city. In contrast to the vibrant colors of the civilian buildings, it was both tall and imposing. It was by no means a fortress, but the reinforced fences, watchtowers, and active patrol around its grounds it was formidable for its intended task.

They were lead through the gates and the patrols and entered into the structure. It was deceptively bigger on the inside than it looked on the outside with its main hall and branching corridors, though this was more thanks to the architecture than any magic.

The "injured" were lead to the infirmary while Fairy Tail was lead down another hall. Upon reaching the end they entered a large room where they were greeted by a grizzled old man with an eye patch dealing with documents. The more observant of the bunch noticed, stashed away in the corner, his sword and shield that had rather strange skull related ornaments on them.

"Captain Struv, I trust this intrusion means that you've dealt with the magical circle near the station?"

"Yes sir, but it wasn't a threat"

"Was the enemy that easy to deal with?" he was still dealing with his papers and hadn't looked up.

"No sir, there was no enemy"

"So a prank then?"

"No sir, it's something…. Completely different"

"Define different captain"

"Better yet sir, I have them right here"

Upon hearing "them", he laid down his quill and finally looked up. He saw a sea of faces, all young but somewhat rugged while they saw his face old, weathered, and certainly something that says it's seen many battles.

A quick look through the bunch and the old man turned his attention back to the captain.

"These came through the magical circle?"

"Yes sir along with… what was left of the Magnolia garrison"

The old man saw that the young captain was bothered deeply and so decided to not question him any further.

"Thank you Captain Struv, that will be all. Return to your duties while I further investigate this matter"

Struv gave him the regiment salute and went on his way.

The door closed shut, its sturdy and hard nature reflected by the echoes that it left behind in all their ears.

"Now then, I am Sirob Regnirdbot. I am the quarter master of this garrison….. that is until the original quarter master wakes up and recovers. My job is to protect this city and its people so you I advise you to tell me who you are and why you are here"

"Wait….. you seriously don't know us?" asked Gray.

"Young man, I'm not even from here. I'm supposed to be on rest leave from my homeland after a decisive victory against the Wildmen that has plagued our lands. They won't be recovering anytime soon so I can take my time determining whether you are friend or foe"

Convinced by his story, they told him everything from who they each were to the enemy that drove them out. When they were finished, Sirob leaned back into his chair and gave a tired sigh.

"By his majesty, must war follow me everywhere? I do not distaste battle, such would be a shame to Cir Lu, but even the most hardened of men must rest"

"We should tell the people as soon as possible!" Lucy suggested

"Young lady , telling people out of nowhere that their country is being invaded would cause panic which will lead to a riot. That would make the city even more vulnerable than it already is , we might as well hand it over on a silver platter. And that's IF they all outright believe me"

"But the people might be in harm's way if we let them stay here!"

"More people would harm themselves if they leave the city in a panic. It's human nature after all"

"He's right Lucy. The exact same thing happened in Magnolia during the first few hours of the invasion. The only reason we saved as many as we did was because not many people were able to make it out. Even then, we couldn't save them all….." Fried was the only one at the time who had any strategic awareness and tasked himself with the survival to the town. Every life he couldn't save he took personally.

Sirob, having his point made, reached into his desk and pulled out a map of Magnolia.

"You, blue cat….thing. Be careful with those feathers on my helmet. They're from real gryphons and are VERY expensive. Now then…."

"If what you say is true, then they should at least have to past the Kunugi garrison. If that happened we should she smoke rising from the horizon but since there isn't any reports of that yet then that means they're either on their way or are fortifying their position in Magnolia. Either way, it would give us time to determine the threat , inform the capital and start preparing"

"So….. we just wait?" asked Elfman.

"For now. There are still protocols to follow in this land" he stood from his seat, donned his sword and shield and got his helmet.

"Follow me, you will tell the entire garrison exactly what you told me. That way, they're better informed in case I'm missing a few details. The memory is not what it used to be"

Night fell on Oshibana and after a few hours of answering questions and telling all they can to Sirob and the garrison they were finally able to leave.

"I've completed the report and sent our fastest lad to the capital. Can't risk them intercepting our Lacrima communications so we should hear from him by tomorrow. Until then, we will secretly prepare evacuation procedures just in case. Thank you Fairy Tail for all your help "

"Don't mention it" said Natsu as he gave him his big toothy smile.

"Aye sir!" said Happy.

"I would offer you quarters here but we have preparations to make"

"Oh it's alright sir. We'll find our way" said Mirajane.

"Still I must return my gratitude for bringing this up. Here go to the Midden Skave Tavern just down by that road and give them this. They will know what it means " he handed her a skull necklace with a scratch over one of its eye.

"Really? Thank you so much! You're one of the kindest men I've ever met!"

The young maiden's smile warmed his heart. The years of endless war and the loss of his eye made him bitter and cold. So you can imagine what a relief it was to have such a beauty like Mirajane genuinely praise him. Not many people, even in his homeland, that do that anymore.

"Anytime milady, I would be happy to help again. Now for the preparations!" he had a spring to his step as he set off to help the men with the preparations.

* * *

They followed the instructions and made their way through the streets of Oshibana, noting the slight differences and culture around them. Many of them had passed by the city before but since most of the time it was for the sake of missions they only came for the train.

Now, with no such responsibility of their shoulders they could better take in the essence of the city at night.

"I wonder how bad they'll wreck this place when they get here" said Gajeel out of the blue.

A passing thought it may have been, it had an immediate effect. The almost idyllic setting reminded them of Magnolia and how now it lay in enemy hands, it's streets filled with the dead, how homes and precious valuables now lay in ruin or made to serve whatever diabolic purpose Exyle and Gjorum had in mind.

Having been reminded of the fate of their home, the mood our heroes sunk deep but on they went.

It was quite some time before our heroes finally found the Tavern in question. Its sign appeared to be written in blood donned with a picture of a rat standing like a man and holding a skull out of all things.

A rather strange way to represent your business, but so long as it held drink and bed it mattered little to the hungry and tired.

Through its wooden doors they entered and were greeted by a lively sight. Friends that drank, small brawls scattered around, women gossiping at the counter and rafters, depressed folk opening themselves to the ear and the shots of the bartenders, and shady fellows left to their vices in the corners reminded them of their guild which was also now lost.

Standing strong, they made their way to one of the bartenders.

"Salutations strangers. Shall it be board or booze that you seek? "

"Oh….um… hello. We don't want a drink right now, we just need a place to stay" said Gray.

"Board it is then. Ramklov, this is for you" said the bartender as he turned his attention to another customer. A bald man with a weird mustache came to meet them. He too looked grizzled and weathered from battle.

"Good evening travelers. I am Ramklov. I hear that you seek rest?. "

"Um….. that's right sir. We need a place to stay" said Wendy.

The old man said nothing to the little girl as his old experienced eyes closely looked at her and then at all her friends.

"Hmmmm…"

"Um… what is it sir?"

"Wounds on specific areas on all of you that would say that it was targeted, bruises that have not yet fully healed, and this poor fellow whose throat is redder than normal. I would say that you were all in a difficult battle"

"Amazing, all that just from looking at us?" commented Fried.

"I have fought many a battle young man, be it with the living and the dead. I know my injuries and you're tells a tale of a battle not more than a day old. Not only that I would also say that you were-"

"Ramklov, what did I tell you about inspecting the guests. If you drive them away, that's coming out of your salary" said one of the bartenders.

He saw that the group was getting either tensed or creeped out. Maybe even both. More importantly, he didn't want a reduction to the salary he was getting. He may be a bigshot at his home, but even that barely helps the upkeep of his beloved golden chariot and he needed it even more now that he was abroad.

Any extra payment goes to maintaining his cape and spruce mustache and thus he kept the rest of his thoughts to himself.

"Forgive me, I do tend to ramble. So it was board you sought correct? "

"Umm…. yes. For all of us if you don't mind" said Fried.

"We have plenty of those at the moment. Let's see… about two or three at most for each room… with food and drink….. and that would make it-" before giving them the hefty price he was briefly interrupted by the ever loveable Wendy.

"Oh…um…. we… just lost our home so we don't have that many jewels" she meekly replied.

"Well by his majesty how do you propose to pay for it then little lady? And don't try any sad stories and whatnot, I don't break so easily"

"We don't have that many jewels, but we do have this" Mirajane handed him the necklace and the old man immediately recognized it. As if to confirm its existence, he caressed it a few times before finally letting out a chuckle.

"Huh…..Sirob you old fool. What made you give THIS to them?"

"So…. You'll let us stay?"

"Not so fast. I must still inspect you for that accursed rat plague. One can never be too sure about an infestation" he quickly waves his hand in the air and summons a rune in front of him. As quickly as he put it up, it then disappeared.

"Alright, you're clean. You may stay, everything is on the house. Your beds are on the third floor. Now if you excuse me"

He left to attend to another customer and without any further words the gang went to their own rooms .Some in pairs and others in threes but all but all finding some rest and serenity.

For a once proud guild now made into refugees, they all slept rather easy. No nightmares haunted their dreams nor did the troubles of the world weigh down of them for too long. All fell into slumbers sweet embrace as the world around them started to burn.

* * *

Dawn came rather quickly but the night was generous and gave our heroes all the rest they needed. Natsu was the last to awaken and felt and groggily made his way down to the first floor. However, he greeted his friends wide awake as gravity and a misstep make for a very effective wakener.

"It's about time you woke up. We were all waiting for you" said Gray without a care for the fire mage.

"Shut it stripper! I'm not in the mood yet! Wendy-chan, I need you! Wendy! Wendy?"

"She isn't here Natsu" said Happy.

"Eh, where did she go?"

"She and Charles went back to the garrison to help heal the soldiers faster. In fact, she was the first to get up" according to Panterlilly.

"Really? " it wasn't really that unbelievable for someone like Wendy to want to help, after all he knew her very well. Too well in fact.

He decides to let his injuries heal naturally as he joined his friends in the free morning breakfast at the tavern.

After their meal, Fried told them all to enjoy the city while he and Pantherlilly contemplated their next move.

Since most of them neither had the patience nor the level of with when it came to higher stratagems they decided to take Frieds advice and left the Raijinshu and the Exceed to their devices as they drowned themselves in the mundanity and bliss of the life that they had now lost .

The day passed without incident.

All were able to enjoy the delights and sights of Oshibana until they had to return to their inn. Even then, Oshibana culture and food was present at the inn. The Raijinshu and the Exceed were at a table that held maps and notes. Though a few empty drinking cans adorned the sides, it was clear that they were heavily invested in planning.

The rest of the guild continued to follow Frieds advice and joined the merriment.

Mirajane even got a chance to sing and seeing that she was a celebrity of sorts, she gathered quite the crowd.

Gray was gambling….surprisingly…. and in a tense faceoff with people who knew their pokerface well.

Elfman was engaged in a testosterone filled arm wrestling competition, sweat dripping down his brow and veins popping out as he fought his current opponent who was just as stubborn as he.

For our Wendy she was entertaining the children that were present (on that note who in their right mind brings children to a tavern?!) with her air magic.

Everyone else was either drinking, eating, or a combination of both.

It was a good night, but the night always holds surprises

*Door crashing open loudly*

It was not uncommon for the tavern doors to swing open. From "peaceful" bandits, travelers, bounty hunters, and even the occasional gunslinger the tavern door has opened itself to all. What was not common however was a man who looked like he had just outran death, carrying an orb and raving like a madman.

Though some deep in the bar were either too drunk or too busy with their own matters, the ones close to the door couldn't help but take notice.

After one of them gave him his drink, the man seemed to ironically calm down and form coherent speech.

"This just came in to a while ago! Look!" he put out the orb, which turned out to e a communication lacrima.

A glow emanated from the crystalline structure before an image of a burning city appeared on it. This confused the small audience as more images of burnt down or burning buildings until one of them recognized the images.

"Wait, that's Gallowstown! That's where I come from!"

"No way….. Is that Dawn City?!"

"Oi, Oi, Oi why is Sorien there?!"

As more and more cities appeared either ruined or in combat, more and more people from the bar dropped what they were doing and began to crowd.

It wasn't long before all that disappeared and two familiar faces appeared. The first was Draculos Hyberion, known only as a Wizard saint. The second wizard saint in all the land, in fact. He was rarely seen and rumors became truth as they all saw that he indeed looked like a classic Vampire. The truth of whether this book was exactly like the cover was for debate.

From his golden chalice he drank something before speaking starting to speak.

"As you can see, they've only taken the cities close to the coast. There are many more reports from multiple coasts that have yet to be verified and according to our scouts there is no evidence of them amassing their troops for a push deeper inland" though the thick accent complimented the stereotypical look well, the sheer seriousness and deep voice would only fail to command respect to those who had no ears.

"What of it then? You are aware that this could be a ruse?" a face was not necessary to show that the grizzled old voice belonged to no other than Sirob.

"I am indeed aware. However, the king is hesitant to commit to what could be a misunderstanding"

"Misunderstanding?! Only a peasant or even a servant of Discord would misunderstand that this enemy has proven itself beyond a shadow of a doubt a potent threat. You garrisons have fallen with ease and if this information proves true then two more coastal cites near Sorien have already fallen as we speak. Surely your king understands that?! "

"Though your criticism is valid and your experience valuable, you watch your tone Sirob " bloody red did his eyes grow for a second and whether or not this planted fear in Sirob, we may never know. What we do know is that the old veteran did calm down.

"My apologies, but people are dying and something must be done"

"A hasty act would lead to more deaths. As you can see with all the unconfirmed reports and confirmed ones, should we send all available forces at once we would be splitting them too thin and if even one of them falls"

"Then they would have a clear path to your capital. Bold but ingenious this enemy"

"Indeed. We need more time to gather our strength, mobilize our army, and conscript the mages. Until then the coastal cities shall have to endure"

"Well what of this city?"

"Since it has not yet fallen, we have decided to grant you emergency powers and evacuate to Clovertown. The governor is already informed"

"I guess that means I have to prepare a cursed communications lacrima. By Cir Lu these things are frustrating. I doubt even that golden masked freak would figure this out"

"I do apologize. This is not your home and yet you have been called to defend it. I can not ask you do any further as a guest and would understand if you wish to leave"

"Keep your apologies vampire, war follows those who live it. I will fight by you so long as Cir Lu wishes"

"On behalf of the king, I can not express our gratitude enough"

"Another matter, are you certain that this communication would not be compromised? I sent that lad to the capital for a reason"

"You need not worry. This is my own personal lacrima with my own enchantments. It will not be compromised"

"Let us hope so Hyberion. Let us hope so"

The orb died down, it's light fading as it left those who bore witness to it in confuse and shock. The moment was broken when Ramklov, who was also present for the message, finally spoke.

"The fool and his honor. This is why I worship Ra Magis "

They had no idea what he was talking about or who Ra-whatever his name was but it wasn't long before they all broke into an uproar that caught the attention of our other heroes and some other patrons.

Cries of "It this for real" and "This must be a joke" to "It's probably another one of those training drills" rang from the mob.

"Wait, for all we know this could be a trick? I mean, how did you get this anyway?"

"My brother is in the garrison. He said he took it off the desk to warn us" said the man.

"Isn't that like…..insubordination or something?" asked another

"I doesn't matter. I don't know about you people, but me and my family are getting out of here!" was all he said before dropping the lacrima and running off into the night.

This caused a stir in the inn as everyone began to panic. The calls of calm by the bartenders had no effect on the frantic mob that grew by the second.

Our heroes were rather quiet and even rtied to sneak back into their beds until one of the people noticed the emblem on Natsu's arm

"Hey you! Aren't you part of Fairy Tail? Aren't you like, supposed to be fighting out there or what? "

This call was enough to unite the mob and direct their attention to the members.

"Yeah! Exactly, why aren't you out there?!"

"You have magic don't you? Protect us!"

"I thought you were the strongest guild in this kingdom?!"

The questions and accusations were like arrows pining them down as they had no answer to the volley.

"Natsu, what do we do?" Lucy was starting to get scared. She felt like if she gave the wrong answer they mob would rip them apart.

Luckily for the Dragonslayer, he didn't need to.

"Natsu, what's with all the noise?" a tall wall of fur and meat descended from the stairs as a transformed Pantherlilly came down.

"Hoy are you part of Fairy Tail too?"

"Answer us, why aren't' you out there protecting us?!"

"We have children! Aren't you thinking about them?!"

Unlike our heroes, the Exceed didn't falter as the veteran had a knack for dealing with civilians under stressful situations.

"Everyone please, calm down. You have to understand that-"

"All we understand is that out kingdom is being attacked and you're doing nothing!"

"Yes!Yes! What are you running away?"

"No we aren't running….technically. Please you have to let me-" the Exceed tried to explain again

"If you're not running then what?"

"Yeah, if you weren't running then why are you here?! Magnolia is that way!"

"Maybe they're working for the enemy!"

"No, we aren't helping the enemy!" pleaded Mirajane.

"That would make sense, I mean they all look fine"

"Traitors! They might be traitors! Or worse, deserters!"

"Cowards !"

"We're not cowards!" shouted Natsu. If there was one thing he hated other than fear, it was being called a coward! Alas, it fell on deaf ears.

"Should we report them to the garrison?"

"I say we beat them up!"

"Yeah, lets teach deserters a lesson!"

The crowd began to get hostile and closed in on the group. They may have been mages but they were outnumbered and even so they would never use their magic on civilians let alone their own.

"SHUT UP!" the building shook and the wood creaked as Pantherlilly let out a loud roar that caught everyone's attention.

"You're all being hysterical! We're not traitors, were not cowards, and were not deserters! You people should know that!"

The bared fangs and the predator look tamed the crowd into silence. A minuet passed before somebody had the courage to speak up again.

"Then….why aren't you out there?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ramklov had just been watching the scene play out but even he grew tired of the mass hysteria and the accusations so he decided to try and put things into order.

They all turned their gaze to the man who supposedly had the answer.

"If you people recall, earlier in the day they came in a magic circle in front of the Oshibana Railway with injured soldiers behind them. If any of you were paying close attention, they were all limping and their movements were consistent with injuries. Combined that with what the ramblings of that one soldier and well…I'm certain you get the rest "

A realization hit the crowd, their thoughts and their tongues held down by the weight of it. None could speak, none would want to speak but the curiosity of one could hold him no longer

"Wait…..does that mean. Answer us: Did they….Did they beat you?" he asked frankly

There was no point in prolonging the inevitable so Pantherlilly answered just as frankly "Yes"

That yes was the match that set the forest on fire. The screams of panic, fear, distress, and frustration mixed with a sprinkle of hopelessness spread like wildfire to most of the patrons.

The strongest guild in the kingdom, the ones who beat Phantom Lord and all its branches, the one who took down two of the dark guilds, the guild that was a constant thorn in the Magic Council's side, the guild that had Gildarts, the guild that had that monster of a mage Laxus, the Fairy Tail that has never faced true defeat stood beaten and broken before them.

Nobody knew who threw the first punch or leg or trip or kick but what was first was panic, then it was shoving, then it was chaos, then it became an all out brawl.

Bodies were flung left and right as our heroes tried to stop the fighting only to fail when their instincts came in and they just became part of the clobbering mass.

The epitome of this mosh pit was when Elfman flung a rather rowdy person into Gray who was surprisingly still playing cards with his opponents (Geez whatever they were betting must have been really worth it) and the table along with the other gamblers were thrown into disarray.

His hand now mixed with the others, Gray instinctively assumed it was the pink pineapple head of a salamander that got in his way again. Without question he launched and ice attack and instinctively Natsu retaliated.

It didn't bother most of the normies one bit that magic was used but the magical exchange was causing tremendous noise and outright ludicrous damage to the bar.

The ones who still had sense decided to either leave of go to a corner and let the mages and others have at it .

While the baristas were hiding under the table, Ramklov was calmly writing something on a paper unconcerned with the magical attacks and flying debris around.

It was a drawn out affair that was only halted by the arrival of the Rune Knights. Not the local constables or even the garissoners that we have seen so far but the priestly, mystic iron hand of the Magic council itself. Proficient in magic and competent in a melee all in Fiore knew that when they made their presence known it was serious.

Little by little the noise slowly died as the word spread of the Rune Knights arrival. They paid no heed to the commoners and went straight for the elemental mages who were yanking at each other.

What finally got their attention was a familiar face, division commander Lahar.

"Are you two done yet?" said the young and firm voice. The two mages looked up and saw the bespectacled man standing tall above them.

It took a while but the two finally came to their senses and stood up like the rest.

"Hey you're the glasses guy that helped us with Oración Seis! How's it going? Did you come to join into the fight too?" said Natsu.

"No, such a thing is technically against the rules. I did, however, come by order of the High council to bring your guild back to the Oshibana garrison"

"Why, what did we do?" asked Gray.

"That is not protocol for us to discuss in public though it would seem that someone already leaked information. That is a serious breach in the rules and something that will be dealt with accordingly" he took his job very seriously and did not appreciate gaps in the chain of command. Then again such information would cause panic regardless.

"Whatever the case we are on a tight schedule. Will you some with us peacefully Fairy Tail?"

"Of course. Just give us time to gather our belongings" Pantherlilly replied.

He let out a sigh of relief. Since they were willing to cooperate he let out a sigh and turned his attention to the crowd.

"Alright since this is a simple bar brawl I'll let all of you off with a warning. Those who are staying here are to immediately return to their rooms and those who are not to leave for their homes. Am I understood?"

As fast as the brawl began the crowd dispersed for their bunks or their homes leaving the wrecked hall to the knights and the mages.

"Now that they're gone I also have a message for you. All of you"

He sounded serious….well….more serious than usual so they decided to call all their friends. When they were all present Lahar brought out a vile. After he unplugged it a pink aroma filled the room.

The scent danced and twisted until it formed a man. Not just any man but the only man powerful and strange (mostly strange).

The glorious.

The fabulous.

The handsome.

The men in ikemen.

Ichiya.

"ICHIYA?!" they all asked in unison.

"Why helllloooo there Fairy Tail" with voice and with poise he greeted them, his trademark pose apparent in all it's fabulous glory.

"Ichiya? Is that really you? What's going on and why are you made of smoke?" the ever inquisitive Natus asked.

"Though I am happy to see you, especially you ladies *wink* this parfum you see before you is a new experimental message parfum. The old way was boring and needed more pizaz!"

Creepy and/or cringey as it may have been, they had to admit transmitting a message through scent and perfume was an impressive never before seen feat. It was a testament just how brilliant this strange little man was in terms of his magic.

"But we must not delay. If you are seeing this then the handsome division commander has opened this and has successfully reached you " Lahar was kinda creeped out by this too but he did his best to hold his composure.

"If you are there then I must let you know that your master Makarov is safe and sound. He is with the Magic council as we speak"

All the mages let out a sigh of relief. Good , their master was safe.

"I should also let you know the scent of blood and war has descended upon us. A scent that has come from the sea and to our coasts. A dreary but new scent it is my nose is confused as to what to feel. Men"

"I can not say anymore but when you receive this message then you must make your way to the Blue Pegasus guild immediately where me and my honey await you "

"I'M NOT YOUR HONEY!" screamed a familiar voice as Ichiya was tossed and make it look oh so fabulous.

The pink scent returned to the bottle leaving everyone in the room weirded out but better informed.

After some time packing all they had left and a quick talk with Ramklov the guild was off and accompanied by the iron hand of the Magic Council.

* * *

They wasted no timeand were immediately escorted to the station. Awaiting them was a special train used by the Rune Knights exclusively to conduce operations and to transport them across the kingdom.

Even then, they could already see people on the streets panicking on masse and crowding the station.

They saw Sirob and some garissoners trying to calm them down and looked worried for a bit but the old man saw them and gave them a reassuring nod. That was all they saw before they moved into the special train.

Unlike the regular transports the inside was better furnished and they could swear that it was bigger on the inside than it appeared to be on the outside.

It was a full display of Fioren taxes at work from Velvet seats to a mini-bar (actually scratch that it looks like a full on bar) extending as far as the cart itself.

"You will be staying here for the time being. We should arrive in clover Town in a few hours so pelase enjoy yourselves and please don't break anything. The infamous Fairy Tail brawls are not welcome here" said Lahar as he left the rowdy bunch with government assets.

The journey was surprisingly peaceful as the guild occupied themselves with government paid luxuries. If the king new one thing it was style.

Time flew past VERY quickly and they were already making headway into Clover Town. An island city that has quite the number of hills, it doesn't really stand out other than the fact that the Blue Pegausus guild is here…..somewhere.

After leaving the train our heroes meet a handsome messenger who gives them a vile. Thninking it was another of Ichiya's messages they opened it and were completely knocked out.

Upon opening their eyes, they were greeted by Ichiya's handsome devils, the Trimen: the playboy whose got so many sparkles he might as well be a constellation Hibiki, so sweet he'll give you diabetes Eve, and the cool and calm chocolate hunk Ren.

"Fairy Tail guild, we welcome you to the Blue Pegasus mansion. We hope you enjoy our services"

"Hey pretty boys mind telling us why you knocked us out" asked an annoyed Gray. Though they have proven their worth he was still annoyed by them.

"Our guild is not only strong but has a reputation"

"Only those who have both strength but most importantly charm may even see this guild"

"We keep our secrets hidden from any jealous would be saboteurs that would are damage such beauty and act as a haven for those who have it "

Not a satisfying answer but an answer nonetheless.

"Well then ladies, how shall you be hosted today?" ignoring the men the trio went directly for the ladies, escorting them ahead through the flower garden and through the perfume scented gilded doors of the "guild".

With handsome men on one side and gorgeous women at another, the Guild was greeted with the perfect mix of luxury and fabulousness. If it wasn't shiny or scented with aromas that would envy even a goddess then it was certainly a person who embodied such attributes or an ugly thing that was not meant to be seen.

They were lead into the "guest" room where Ichiya and Erza were waiting for them.

"Welcome my honies and guests to Blue Pegasus. It's good to meet feinds again in these dire times. MEN!"

"It's good to see you guys nice and alive. I was worried but I guess it was unfounded" said Erza.

Before anyone else could say anything, Natsu jumped at her fists ablaze.

"Erza, I just fought and survived a war! I feel like I'm sronger than you now! Fight me!"

The young dragonslayer, however, was easy to begin but quick to finish as the scarlet warrior simply flicked his fist and backfisted him into a mirror.

"AHHHHH, Natsu you broke a mirror and it looked expensive!" shouted Lucy.

"Don't worry Miss Lucy that mirror was starting to get ugly so we were going to replace it anyway" Ichiya reassured her.

"How ;loaded are these guys?!" Lucy knew expensive mirrors and that was an expensive mirror. If they could say that then they had a lot of money which means….

"It's really good to see you Erza, but where were you anyway and what happened to the Master?" asked Mirajane.

"Yes, your help could've been very useful during Magnolia's invasion" though Fried meant no disrespect he was rather curious as to why her out of all people and the master weren't' there during that time of need. He could've really used her help.

Reunions were nice and all but they still had a crisis on hand. War waits for no man.

"Okay, where do I even begin?"

* * *

 **Epilogue**

The veteran slumps down into his comfy chair, slowly removing pieces of his armor until only his garment remained.

No matter who or where dealing with a panicking populace would tire even the greatest of warriors and with the added fatigue of making a communications lacrima Sirob just wanted to slumber in his chair peacefully for a few hours.

He would not have it as Struv barged into his room.

"Captain whatever concern you may have t can wait until I have fully rested"

He said no more and prepared to sleep as he let out a yawn.

"But sir this one was very persistent in finding you. I tried to stop him but-" the Captain was interrupted by another man entering.

"Sirob, a word"

The old veteran recognized the voice as belonging to Ramklov and begrudgingly sat straight.

"*sigh* Thank you Captain, you may return to your duties"

The young man left.

"So how is 'war never rest for those who live it' plan coming along in your little break?"

"I stand by that statement priest and I will have you know that I am having quite the relaxation I need"

"If relaxed has changed to so exhausted you can not even stand then you good sir are in Nirvana"

For a man of the cloth he sure knew how to be snarky. He would make an excellent drill sergeant.

"So Ramklov, why have you come here? I thought you were running that brothel down at the street?"

"It is not a brothel it is an inn. Something I think you could really use if you are to get any real rest"

"I promised to stand for the quarter master and by Cir Lu I shall"

"I bet even he would want you to rest. You have done enough for a people you do not owe "

"*sigh* So what did you wish to say? You could've easily sent a messenger if all you wished for was my good health"

Ramklov brought out a pendant, the same pendant that Sirob gave our heroes earlier.

"Ahh yes, that. I will send payment over immediately"

"Not so fast" Ramklov brings out a scroll and it was very very very VERY long.

"this is the list of damages from the inn" he handed it over to the veteran who looked at it as if it was nothing of concern.

"That's quite extensive, but nothing compared to a drunken dwarf brawl. Those things last for days at the very least and bring entire blocks with them"

He then casually opens a chest filled with gold, jewels, and other riches.

"Here, take this Wild Men gold. It should pay for everything. Though there are some things very expensive that were crossed out. Why is that?"

Ramklov reached into his pocket and gave Sirob a note. It was from Mirajane.

It read as so: "Dear Sir,

I am very sorry for the trouble casued by Natsu and his friends. Our guild is very rowdy and that sometimes brings problems for others. Though it is not much I hope this payment would be a start. XXOXX Mirajane

P.S I left a little something 'extra' that I know you will like "

Inside the already opened envelope were pictures of Mirajane in various "outfits" that were shot for the Sorcerer Magazine. Some of them even had an "exclusive" taste if you get what I'm saying.

"she gave things that to all the male employees and they agreed to remove some of the costs. Honestly that young lady shamefully using her body like that to acquire favors! I don't know if Ra Magis would be disgusted or disappointed!"

…

"You took some for yourself didn't you?"]

"How DARE you make such an accusation you filthy Cir Lu worshiper! I am not just a priest but the Supreme Priest and I do not think that such behavior would be befitting a man of my position!"

"Don't bring Cir Lu into this priests" he said before quickly grabbing his sword and cutting the old man's cloak revealing that he had indeed taken pictures of Mirajane as well.

"How …dare… you!"

…..

…..

"I'll trade you this dominatrix one for that summer outfit one "

"DEAL! I'll also take that demon look for two of these summer ones"

And so the two veterans traded pictures of the beautiful Mirajane for hours.

* * *

 **And so it ends yet again. I do thank you my fellow audience for listening to this continuing play. I can not express through words the joy and appreciation you bring to me for still being here. Picture would be more sufficient but my anime drawing skills require more refinement XD**

 **Part of why this takes quite some time is because of all the research I must do regarding factions, magic, locations, and etc. If I have gotten something wrong (do mind that I will try to integrate the "new" cannons from the already current books into the story but as I said the timeline is just right after the Tenroujim arc and none of that timeskip hooey) and please feel free to correct me on your potential lore knowledge.**

 **Again i am struly sorry and will try to upload with greater next next time.**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	11. Chapter 11 - An Old Alliance Reforged

**I greet you again my fellow readers and hope that you do well in life. Now that the previous chapter no longer bogs me down i can (or at least attempt to) bring this to you weekly and finish the other 11 chapters that I have planned. Some of you wonder if this is indeed a romance story and I assure you that it is. This is simply an attempt on may part to give a more substantial one but for those who doubt I left for you a little taste of what's to come in the relatively near future.  
**

 **Do also note that I may be posting new stories for your enjoyment for the sort that lacks the time though they may be of other lores/stories/fandoms.**

 **Rest assured, I intend to finish this and only an act of the divine shall stop me.**

 **So please** **relax your mind, comfort yourself and do enjoy the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium Encounter.  
**

 **Oh and a critique/comment would always be helpful so please do not hesitate to leave one**

* * *

"Earthland. Our home. All we have ever known.

14 lands are what make it whole. Each land a kingdom on its own.

Fiore is but one of these many kingdoms. It's not as big as Pergrande. Not as rich as Minstrel. Not as beautiful as Joya. Not as cold as Iceberg and thank goodness for that. Not as tropic as Caelum too.

But this kingdom is ours. It is our world and what we do know is that it has spirit. Be it from sea, from land, or from the sky Fiore has and will endure and no one can ever break it"

"Pssstt. Levy, why did she narrating?" asked Natsu.

She had no idea as well but just decided to roll with it.

"Eheheh, just let her be Natsu"

"But now our closest neighbors burn around us. The Seven Grand Knights and their fiefdoms from Seven, the salve hordes of Bosco, the Caelum tribes, and jewel mages of Minstrel"

"From those who escaped and headed off to Midi they tell us that one was so precise and swift that none could touch him and that he knew their every thought. They could not fight back. The other devastated everything that stood before him. No tower, no spell, no army cold stand for long and all who did was scorched to ash. They could not stop him"

"We did our best to help the refugees hence why I and the master had to leave so suddenly since the council asked for our help out of the blue"

Natsu let out a sigh of relief. He knew that she had a good reason for leaving and hearing from her directly gave him peace. He then let out a "Thank goodness" under his breath.

"Last we heard Minstrel was still fighting back but from the refugees they say that at least half their kingdom had already fallen or was burning"

"We then heard rumors that Fiore was being attacked. We weren't sure about their authenticity so me, the master and a few of us decided to return home to check. Unfortunately when we arrived they were true. Our ships were shot and I was separated from the master"

"Long story short, I made my way to the capital and now by the kings orders I'm helping the Magic council mobilize the kingdom's forces for war "

Nobody interrupted her when she spoke. Her tales of other lands and her noble deeds held their attention for ransom and only increased her amazingness to them, even more especially to Natsu.

"Amazing Erza. After all that you must be really tired" said Lucy.

"Yes I'm a bit tired but there is no time to rest. War is on our doorsteps and we have to move immediately"

"Erza you're as tired as us. Believe me you need rest" said Mirajane who was still somewhat injured.

"Yeah Erza. War or not we can't have you ending up like you did during the Phantom Lord War " said Lucy.

"Indeed. I suggest we rest so as to fully recover and better form a plan of attack" said Fried in his cold and calculating manner.

"They do have a point Erza my honey. After all we still have to wait for orders from the Council regading our next move" said Ichiya.

Hearing the concerns of her friends and a little creeped out by Ichiya she decided to listen to both them and her body.

"*sigh* I guess you're all right. We could use some rest and were already in Blue Pegasus anyway"

Ichiya was ecstatic since it was a long time goal of his to bring his honey to the all famous Blue Pegasus guild. This was his chance to show off his hosting abilities.

"Then I welcome you and your friends to the Blue Pegasus guild. I especially can't wait to pleasure you my darling " said the parfum mage in his ikemen voice.

"I'm not your darling!" was Erza's reply as she sucker punched him.

With grace and elegance he flew in the air, performing spins and keeping his smile as his gorgeous face planted strongly into a marble pillar.

"Sorry Ichiya" apologized the scarlet warrior. Luckily the Trimen were there to help him on his feet, the bruise not affecting his poise at all.

"But that reminds me, what exactly happened to all of you?" she turned her attention to her guild mates as she recognized the bruises and bandages on all of them.

So they told their story: of how Mirajane was beaten to a pulp, how Magnolia was devastated, how they were beaten, and more importantly about Exyle and Gjorum.

"I see. So you may have met the ones that the refugees were talking about. We have to disc-" before she could continue, the Trimen and Ichiya were already beckoning them to the main hall where they were to be hosted.

Not wanting to forgo he hospitality, they let talk of war and enemies subside as they were whisked away into a land of pretty boys, pretty girls, and the best hoist service in all of Magnolia.

* * *

They came upon a giant door covered with purple velvet, scented with perfume, and adorned with golden patterns of roses.

With a snap of Ichiya's fingers they swing open, overwhelming his guests with the bright sparkling fabulousness, a mist the seemed to hover in the air and the floor, and a horizon full of beautiful women and pretty men. Whether they were seated, on the bar, or playing games with their guests it was an endless sight charm and the embodiment of beauty itself in juicy, delicious mortal form.

"I present to all of you the main Blue Pegasus branch and with it the best we have to offer "

"Wait, you have branches?" asked Lucy.

"Of course. Any successful guild will need to expand sometime. Fairy Tail may be considered one of the strongest guilds in the kingdom but it is hardly the largest nor the richest" said Hibiki.

"Not only that, one building alone cannot hold all the honies and darlings that wish for the Blue Pegasus treatment. We even have private houses for those who want a more 'intimate' experience. The closest one here looks like a cathedral from the outside" said Eve.

"It's simple business practice actually. I'm surprised as to why your guild haven't done it" said Ren.

Their business model aside they had to admit this building was very impressive. It's pomp and fabulous atmosphere made them all feel as though they don't belong in such a classy environment.

The beauty sense (yes that's a thing roll with it) of Ichiya acted up and he knew the discomfort his friends were facing. I mean who would be in such tattered attire? With the exception of Erza and Maybe Mirajane they all looked like vagabonds.

"I sense your discomfort but do not worry my friends. Trimen, give our guests proper attire!" he commanded.

Before they could lodge any complaint, they were whisked away in a tornado of hands and feet as they were dragged into changing rooms. They were measured, undressed, and fitted faster than a man can blink.

It was all a mess but it was a gorgeous mess.

Erza sported a blue low-cut strappers dress. Lucy had a pink hanging dress. Mirajane donned a red dress with a short skirt with her sister following the same but in purple. Juvia was given a sea blue dress that had an eastern flare. Evergreen had a more black leather look to her that embraced her body well. Levy and Wendy, being the shortest of the bunch, were given the loli treatment.

The guys were, unsurprisingly, all wearing suits though each brought their own steamy and hunky flair to it.

"I had not thought that it was possible that your beauty was beyond improvement but that was until I saw Erza in a low cut starppers dress. Of course you other lovelies are exhuming beauty as well and I guess you boys are pretty too. Though you have a lot of work to do if you want to be as fabulous as me. MEN!" said Ichiya.

"Ichiya is the best. The girls are looking fierce. Nobody knows better and nobody could do better" the Trimen praised.

"I have to admit, these dresses are rather elegant" said Erza.

"Well then now you can fully enjoy the experience. Select your host from the board and be whisked away into nirvana on earth" the parfum mage directed them to a board filled with hosts galore. From the serious to the cool and even the cute it was filled with whatever one's heart desired.

Lucy and Lissana were the first to have a go as they were whisked away by their chosen male host to an available spot. The rest, except Erza who was taken by Ichiya and the Trimen, did the same as they indulged in the pleasantries of capitalistic romance.

Fried was being fawned over by many girls for being and I quote "So cold and smart"

Bickslow and Elfman were more engaging with their female cohorts as manly men of their nature would.

Evergreen was taking a more…dominatrix approach with her bunch.

Mirajane, being the celebrity she was, had a mix of boys and girls asking for her tips, autographs, and other typical celebrity questions.

Gray and Juvia were just getting weird stares as Juvia's clingy nature to Gray scared especially the girls with death stares.

Levy and Wendy were dealing with people their size and from the looks of it enjoyed being called Onee-chan.

Natsu was enjoying the food and just talking to the girls who admired his childish nature and his body.

The male Exceeds were ironically playing near the fountain with Charles took a more womanly approach and drank tea.

Even if it was their first time, it was as Ichiya promised a Nirvana that our heroes enjoyed for hours within the pink , golden, scented guild halls of Blue Pegasus.

* * *

After Natsu had finished for what seemed like his 100th plate, he left the ladies to go grab a drink from the bar. For all this thickness he was a natural with them then again they were for all intents and purposes in a host club.

He sought to quench his thirst and when he arrived two scarlets caught his eye. One he drank the other he approached.

"Yo , Erza!" he casually said as he sat beside his comrade.

"Oh, Natsu it's you. How are you doing?" said the gorgeous warrioress as she drank her shaken martini.

"Great! This place has amazing food and the girls are really nice to talk to! Everyone looks like they're having a blast which makes me happy. We should so visit here more!" the Dragonslayer prasied.

"That's nice Natsu. I'm glad you're having fun"

"Weren't you supposed to be with Ichiya? What happened to him?"

"Well after a while he said he had to go and tutor a visiting High School Host Club and some 'special' training for one of their 'special' members or whatever that means"

 ***flashback***

"Erza my sweet, though it pains me I must train the next generation of hosts. While we are apart I leave you with the excellent services of our other hosts" said Ichiya as he left and men basically mobbed her.

I didn't really feel comfortable with men I didn't know so I left Wendy in my place

"Here, have a loli" she said as she left and the poor girl was surrounded.

 ***flashback end***

"Man , Ichiya sure is weird"

"*giggle* Yeah but he's a good man with a good heart and an all round reliable person "

"Yeah, he's strong too"

"I guess in his own right"

"Well I'm heading back. You want to join me with the girls?"

"Maybe later"Erza however didn't sound as excited. In fact she had what Natsu knew as "the tone". This came in several variations and apart from the famous "Pray to Igneel because you are so dead" this one was the "I'm troubled" one.

The pinkette finished his drink and then focused all his attention on Erza.

"Somethings bothering you. What is it?" he was immediately more serious than he was a few seconds ago.

Erza knew that Natsu was always the first to notice something about her and that always made her feel all warm inside. He really was like her little brother who always cared for her and she always appreciated it. Sometimes it even cheered up her day.

"It's this whole thing Natsu…." she stared as she took another sip from her martini.

The warrioress took a deep breath as the Dragonsalyer focused all his attention on her.

"Fiore is being attacked from all sides and from what the refugees told us our enemy seems highly trained and very experienced. This is nothing like the Phantom Lord War at all. Not only that it's because I wasn't there that Magnolia fell. I had to leave it to Fried to shoulder all the burden without him asking but even with his skill many people died Natsu. If maybe I was there we could've saved more and yet-"

"That's not your fault Erza. You were helping people who needed it more"

"Yes but they were outsiders. Natsu that was the first time I ever left the kingdom and instead of seeing the world I saw death, destruction, despair, hopelessness. All from this enemy that took down our closest neighbors like it was nothing in a short span of time. 4 Kingdoms Natsu in matter of days"

"So what? We've faced many enemies before and survived Acnologia. You said it yourself Minstrel was still fighting"

"You don't get it Natsu. I was there, I saw it in their eyes. I've only ever seen such a look of defeat back when I was in slavery. That look of absolute defeat, of being dominated, of being …broken"

Natsu had nothing to say since every time he heard of her slave past it made him angry on the inside. If he could he would beat the salvers so hard that they would never walk again. How dare they do that to Erza!

"There were so many of those looks. Some on mages whom I could feel in my bones were very strong"

"It got me thinking. What if…..What if this is the one we don't win?What if this is the mountain we can't overcome? What if-"

"Stop thinking that Erza!"

His determined voice broke her out of her spiraling nihilism and now it was her turn to give him all her attention.

"Look around you Erza. You're surrounded by your guild, your friends, your family. We're not perfect but we are always there for each other. No matter who or what came after us we all stood together and won no matter what. This enemy is no different. So what if they took out the other countries? So what if they took out strong mages? So what if they're strong?"

He put a hand on her shoulder, a hand that was both firm and reassuring like he was.

"They've never faced Fairy Tail as one before. They were only lucky that's all. Together with the Master, Gildarts, Laxus, and especially you at our side nobody can defeat us! "

Hope from a fool brings even the mightiest of kings out of darkest times and Natsu injected hope back into her.

"I guess you're right Natsu"

"Of course I am! I mean if we lose how can I finally beat you one day?"

"Hahahah. I guess there's that too"

She then cupped her hand on his cheek and gave him a warm smile as a sign of thanks.

"Thank you Natsu, for everything"

He replied by giving her his goofy grin.

"Anytime Erza"

The noise of the guild hall died down and time itself seemed to take a break as they focused on each others smile for what seemed like forever. A smile of hope, friendship, and maybe even something more. A smile that touched the deepest parts of their hearts and banished any smidge of doubt, shining away darkness from every every corner and filling it with its warm embrace.

"Well, I'm glad to see you happy again Erza. Don't worry, we can beat them"

"I guess we can…Oh and that reminds me"

"Natsu , I need to know more about our enemy. We'll have to fight them together eventually so it's better to be prepared" she was back to her old self and thus began to plan. She was a warrior but also a competent tactician.

"I don't have much else to say Erza. They already told you all we know "

"Then can you at least tell me something about their leaders? You said you fought them right? What were they like?"

"What were they like?"

Images suddenly came rushing into his head. A mask, fire, chains, a cape, gloves, thunder, and…fear.

"They were good… They were really good and they had a lot of power"

Vague information was better than no information but she needed more details.

"Can you at least tell me what they looked like Natsu?"

The Dragonslayer thought really hard and remember finer details.

"One of them…was rather muscular. His clothes were a bit torn up and he wore some heavy chains. But his fire magic was very impressive, something I've never seen before"

"And the other one?"

Other one….. he didn't have to think about that. After what he's been through he would never forget that face even if it was covered.

"Very…weird. Not as loud and we never saw his body. He had a cape with him and he wore a mask . He also used lightning magic like Laxus but the way he fought was simply ….weird. Oh he also had a sword and talked all fancy "

"Define weird , Natsu"

"I don't know….the other guy made more sense but this one….. It was like he could see the future or something"

Not many mages knew foresight magic, it was rarer than colored lacrima crystals. It could be that Natsu fought the real deal but the way he described him it just sounded like Natsu was simply outplayed.

So one is headstrong which Natsu could relate to since he is of a similar nature and one is clever. It matched with what the refugees told her.

"I'm sorry Erza, that's all I know" she could see that he was trying really hard and that it was even causing him some discomfort so she let the man go.

"No it's alright Natsu. You gave me vital information"

"I'm glad to help Erza"

"Hooooyyyy, Natsu!" shouted a familiar voice. The fire mage turned his head before being pounced on by Lissana.

"Lissana?"

"Hey Natsu, it's not fair that you spend so much time with only Erza. Come with me and Lucy and hang out with us for a while! "

"Eh? But…." He quickly turned to Erza who just as quickly gave him an answer.

"Natsu it's rude to deny a girl a request especially if she's like that. Go enjoy yourself, I need more time alone to think"

"Okay…if you say so"

"Yay! Thanks for lending him to me Erza! Over here, over here Natsu"

The excited mage dragged her catch away as the scarlet warrior watched with amusement.

"I'll promise to give him back. Teehee"

"Glad to see you haven't changed a bit Lissana" she said to herself as she looked into her martini, as if seancing some spirit from the beyond to guide her in her plans.

* * *

A good two or so hours pass and Erza was still alone and going all over her plans before the man himself appeared before her. And by man I mean a fat, old, pink dressed, fairy winged man who for some reason is considered one of the strongest mages in Fiore but more sensibly the master of a guild like Blue Pegasus.

In short, someone who is the definition of "Let himself go"

"Oh Erza my darling you look more fabulous every time I see you" the old man said.

"Master Bob. I'm sorry I didn't see you there" she always found him weird, but she knew that Master bob was no pushover and could easily take on their master in a fight.

"Oh hush hush there's no problem. No problem at all! Soooooo, how are you enjoying Blue Pegasus hospitality?" the master was a little giddy since this was Fairy Tails first time in his halls. He wanted the best services for all his customers.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect to enjoy such a place but I can perfectly say that you pulled if off excellently master "

"Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes we do our very best to give the best to all our guest!" he was basically squirming with glee upon knowing that he did an excellent job for them. Maybe they would even come back for the more "expensive" services. Ooooohh the possibilities were endless!

"I'm glad that you like our services, but tell me what do you think about your dress? I've had it handpicked for you for ages!"

"It's very…..elegant. I like it"

"Ohohohoho, I have a wardrobe full of other dresses if you want to try some more"

"Maybe next time master"

"Suit yourself. I'll always have them on standby if you ever need to look special for someone"

"Thanks. I'll remember that next time"

"Now unto more serious matters: We've received a message and it's from none other than your master himself. I think it's time to call your friends and get to business"

Nirvana was over and our heroes had to return to earth, an earth that was burning from war.

They left their satisfied hosts and followed the master to his personal quarters. Large, elegant, posh, with a fireplace that held a portrait of him in his younger days, book cases, and furs on the side it fit with the theme of Blue Pegasus well.

"Everyone, gather around" he said.

They followed and gathered around the large ,spherical lacrima situated on the desk.

Master Bob touched the gem and began to glow revealing their one and only master Makarov.

"Master!" they all cried in unison.

"My children! I'm so glad to see you all safe and sound! Are you all there? Are you injured? Have you been eating? " he was as frantic as a parent who just found their lost child and rightly so. The guild was his family and gods help those who would dare harm them, just ask Jose.

"We're fine master" Mirajane assured him.

"Master, you're alive! I knew you okay!" said Natsu.

"Of course, it's going to take more than a silly invasion to defeat me"

"Master where are you? We really need your guidance right now" Fried kept it short and sweet. They've already wasted enough time here and they had to go back outside and fight these invaders.

"It's alright Fried. I'm in the Royal Palace right now, coordinating with the generals and the Magic council regarding our next move"

"Master, just what exactly is going on? Why are there people attacking Magnolia and some other cities? " asked Gray.

"I'm afraid it's not just Magnolia and a few cities Gray"

"What do you mean?"

"It's happening all around Fiore. Every major coastal city from the North, south, end even the West is being attacked and from recent news all but Lamia Scale has already fallen or is occupied"

"No way" said Bickslow in disbelief.

"I didn't think it was this bad" said Pantherlilly.

"They all fell, just like that?" said Levy.

"It's gets worse. Erza, remember when we went back that we heard that Minstrel was still standing?"

"Yes" she had a very bad feeling about what he was going to say next and they were immediately justified.

"We've just gotten reports that their capital has just fallen and was looted. The Emerald King is either dead or fleeing and the half of the kingdom that isn't occupied is in complete anarchy"

"So that means…."

"Yes, all our closest neighbors have been defeated. Fiore is all alone"

They had no words, even Master bob was panicking at the situation.

"Wait…..You said that Half of Minstrel was occupied. That Kingdom is larger than Fiore and with the others being occupied as well…."

"Yes, Pantherlilly. What Fiore is experiencing right now is only but a third or fourth of what they totally have"

"You've got to be joking master. You can't seriously be saying that there's more of these freaks!"

"Unfortunately, I'm not joking"

They were completely befuddled. Only a third and with this much progress already?

Just who were these people?

"Master, do you at least have any good news?" asked Erza. Though it was rather disheartening, she showed no doubt as Natsu's words were still fresh in her mind.

"Actually yes. From what we've been able to gather their progress has slowed dramatically since the Minstrel invasion. They've stuck to their holdings and haven't moved an inch"

"That would make sense, seeing that spreading like this would stretch your forces thin" said the military mind of the black Exceed. Maybe there was hope after all.

"We've also gotten unconfirmed reports that the Caelum tribes that remain are launching counteroffensives as we speak and the one of the Seven Grand Knights of Seven have started pushing back "

"See Erza? What did I tell you? They're not invincible" shouted Natsu.

He was right, they may have taken four countries in a matter of days but in the end they weren't fighting demons or monsters, they were still fighting people.

He got everyone's hopes up again.

"Well said Natsu"

"So Master, what's the plan?" asked Fried.

"Since they refuse to move, the king and the generals have decided to take the initiative. Seeing that they're spread thin we should start applying pressure to their lines and some of them should break. We're calling it Operation Dragon Lance "

"Oooooohh, that sounds fancy" said Happy. He'd never been in a real war before and only ever read about them.

"The plan is to send our forces out to as many key locations as possible and regain footing. Move quickly and overwhelm them. Then we are to reinforce and drive our way through them. They can't possibly protect all the shores"

"Interesting. When can this operation begin?" Fried was starting to see where it was going and he was eager to free his homeland as fast as possible.

"It already kind of began when Erza liberated Sorien"

"Wait….What?!" asked Fried.

"Oh that's right. When me and the Master were separated I encountered the enemy at Sorien on my way to the capital. Along with two other towns I think I took down about three hundred sixty of them before I finally reached Crocus. strange thing is, they all disappeared after I defeated them "

"Heh! That's our Erza alright! What were you so worried about a while ago? " asked Natsu.

"Hey I didn't say that the enemy warriors were invincible Natsu. I was talking about the bigger picture" she replied.

"Wait, you took all of them down? Even that four legged monster fire thing?" Gray couldn't believe that Erza took that many down all by herself, especially with those metal monsters. Then again this was Erza they were talking about.

"They weren't easy, but yes I eventually beat them. Especially those annoying spider ones"

Gray didn't even want to know what she meant by spider like but he let it slide.

"What's our part in this Master?" asked Lucy.

"Simple really. Magnolia is one of these key locations. You, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale will meet outside of Magnolia and liberate the captured civilians. Retake the city if you can"

"Bob, can I count on you? for old times sake?"

"Why of course Maky. The years may not have been kind but I can still fight "

"Don't call me Maky. Alright, Fairy Tail. Are you ready to teach these invaders not to mess with our homes?!"

With shouted benedictions they filled the air in the room with their determination.

They gathered outside the Guild hall and after some final goodbyes to the other hosts from the Trimen and Ichiya journeyed once again into the belly of the best intending this time to slay it from the inside.

* * *

 **Thus ends another chapter in this long arduous play. I thank you for your eyes and ears.**

 **Feel free to comment, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit. Just please do leave a comment**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	12. Chapter 12 - Retaliation

**April Fools Everyone! Bring out thy jesters, says thine jokes, release thy jeers, and make yourselves merry!**

 **If you had noticed in my other story "** **Behave Suspiciously! Revive " I had missed my submission 2 weeks prior due to this chapter needing more refinement but even with such I carry a sense of dissatisfaction at the last part. Perhaps it was my inner self wishing to be done with it? Whatever the case it is finally finished.**

 **Research had to be done regarding the Fioren royal military but I was interested to say the lest to find not that mych on them. This chap and his article /wiki/Fiore_Royal_Military by** **Zicoihno has written information regarding their less then stellar army but do keep in mind that none of it is official/cannon. I can highly recommend it for your reading pleasures.**

 **Now some of you may notice that I may add characters from the current lore of the story. My reasoning for this is simple: respect. Though I have long stopped following the anime an manga for "reasons" my research brings me into contact with the advancing lore and though some of it is of interest it is sadly not enough to bring me back (not yet as of least). So to respect the author I shall to the best of my ability integrate these new characters and lore bits where appropriate. However I shall also make new ones for the sake of the story.**

 **Since there was a problem of lacking lore, I have decided to go with the usual number of soldiers available in a regiment. However, I am still uncertain how far this shall go.**

 **I still remain unsatisfied at the last part and if you posses a keen eye then maybe you shall see it. Perhaps it is not a problem or perhaps it ruins it for you. T'is the problem with writing long  
**

 **I shall also try another format to more easily show separation and to help rest the eyes. Do tell me of it's effectiveness.**

 **The original title for this was "** ** **Initial Retaliation , The Battle for Magnolia** ",a title in tradition with Fairy Tails rather long titles that are sometimes outright silly but in a positive light. But It appears that ti would not fit so Retaliation shall have to do );  
**

Guest chapter 11 . Mar 29

Your a good writer and this Story Deserve more attention

 **Thank you kind sir or madam. It's comments like yours that help make this venture worthwhile and I hope to deliver more**

 **So please** **relax your mind, comfort yourself and do enjoy the next act of Fairy Tail: The Imperium Encounter.  
**

 **Oh and a critique/comment would always be helpful so please do not hesitate to leave one**

* * *

Thanks to the aid of government paid transport ( the luxury train for official business), the trip back to reclaim Magnolia was both comfortable and exciting.

Everybody was again enjoying the services of tax payed luxuries (I mean, who wouldn't?). The Trimen made use of this time and showed off their barista and cocktail making skills to the enjoyment of the ladies who each had their own customized cocktail. The men were enjoying the other drinks and being rowdy while Erza, Fried, and Pantherlilly were in their own corner discussing their next and best move against Exyle's forces.

"Have the defenses been scouted at all?" Fried asked.

"We'll know when we get there and hopefully they already are" replied Pantherlilly.

"How difficult do you think they will be?" asked Erza.

"At this point your guess is as good as mine. However, taking how they fought into account and the time they had I would say very difficult at the very least" replied Fried.

"Remember what the master said. They are stretched so it might not be that difficult. I suggest we storm the center of the town and advance from there" said the Exceed.

"Won't the center be enforced though? Isn't that what they're expecting too?" asked the rune mage.

"Expected, yes but it's only from there we can make the fastest progress in reclaiming the city" replied the Exceed.

"But didn't they say something about using the guild as a forward command?" asked the rune mage.

"I almost forgot about that. So we can than conclude that the northern part of the city is the most reinforced" said the Exceed.

"Not so fast Pantherlilly. During my battles in Sorien and the like, they always had a very fast response time; it was like they were everywhere or could teleport" interjected Erza.

"What are you saying Erza?"

"I'm saying that from all the battles I've had so far, there were no 'heavily enforced' areas. I think it's more reactive in nature and I never felt that they were stretched"

"So a highly mobile defense force…It's just like the hakabun islands invasion all over again" mused the Exceed as memories and long forgotten frustrations surfaced from the deep recesses of his mind

"Hakabun?" asked Fried.

"Tiny creatures back in Edolas who were situated on the floating islands. Not strong by any means but very clever and persistent. Some of my human men called them 'Green Moles' because they would always pop up wherever you were, attack, and then jump back into the ground. I and my commanders almost ripped our beards out of frustration"

"How did you beat them?" the rune mage was surprised that something could make Pantherlilly lose his composure since he always saw the Exceed as one of the most controlled and calm people in the guild.

"Simple...we forced most of them into one island and then we burned it down right to the very last hole. The ones who weren't there never came back" this answer surprised the rune mage a bit, but then remembered that Pantherlilly was a general and as such lead wars. With recent events, he knew that wars cost lives and it had to be the Hakabuns.

"Let's think of a strategy that doesn't include burning down the entire city" replied Erza.

"How about we attack from the sea?" suggested Erza.

"Possible, but we have to take their airships into account. Not only that but they've proven that they could've turned Magnolia into a crater if they wanted just like they did with the hill. Those ships have too much firepower" Fried was there during the first day and though he was busy helping the survivors he still made time to find as much information on the enemy as possible and observe for himself.

"From the air then?" suggested the Exceed.

"The airships would still be a problem. Also, I'm not sure our airships could stand to theirs"

"So we attack from the land then" said Erza.

"I think so. At least the masked ones has shown that he needs the land intact so he wouldn't be too destructive. We could use that against him. It's the crazy one I'm worried about"

"Yes, that one has proven to be quite the wrecking ball. We'll have to focus on bringing him down" mused Pantherlilly.

"I suggest we focus on taking down the masked one. He's the more strategic and that makes him the more dangerous in the long run" countered Fried.

"I'm not sure how strong they are, but I think we have to free the citizens first. That way any action we do ensures their safety" Erza replied.

The three continued to discuss, deliberate, plan, and counterplan while everyone else enjoyed.

All except Lucy who was gazing at the passing landscape. Natsu, being the loveable goofball that he is, was the first to notice and approached her.

"Lucy, whatcha looking at?" he got particularly close which surprised the blonde a bit.

"Gaahh! Natsu, I told you not to sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry, it's just you look worried"

"Why shouldn't I be? I mean I just lost my home Natsu. I'm not even sure it's there anymore. All my books, my manuscripts, my plushies, my family photos. Everything I had just….gone. What if my dad was visiting, he could be in there Natsu or worse….."

She looked out of the window again all forlorn.

"What if I have nothing to go back to?"

"Don't think like that Lucy. You have us, your guild, your family. Even if your house gets destroyed, we'll still be here for you and after all of this is over me and Gray will help you rebuild your house! "

"You would really do that Natsu?"

"Of course! That's what nakama is for!" and to seal the deal cue the smile in 3…2…1..

There it is. I wish I had such a smile, too bad I lost that innocence long ago…..

"Thanks Natsu!" she replied, sounding even happier than normal.

Nothing else of interest happen and our heroes were able to reach Onibus unimpeded. Since the railway system into Magnolia was demolished, they were to meet with the Fioren royal military and the Rune Knights where together they march for glory, honor, home country and to destiny.

...

...

* * *

What is theater but life with all the dull bits cut out? Truly such is one of the highest forms of art and those skilled in such an art is a treasure and a genius in his own right.

And it is in the display of this art that Onibus is most known. Though not the only place in Fiore, it is one of the many shrines in which the art of theater is presented in all its glory.

It was also in the pursuit of this art that our heroes first came into Onibus and where a certain Scarlet's passion didn't turn out as planned.

But the days of theater are long passed and the audience has long left as the town now lay bare and empty. Where there was one streets filled with stalls selling props alongside food and other necessities are now treaded by tumbleweeds and military boots.

The heart of the town, the Onibus theater, now held rugged military equipment where curtains and art once stood.

It was in this theater that our heroes were escorted into where they again met Lahar.

"Squadron Chief Arcadios, repeat! The communications Lacrima is choppy. What is your progress in reclaiming Dawn City? "

"ftzzz….Men…..falling le…..right…eve—bzztt-…need….more…."

"Say that again, Arcadios. Repeat, Repeat: What do you need? You aren't clear!"

"Ci…..bzft…urn…ity…..burning…..alive…flo…agma…flo…agma"

"Repeat, Repeat: You aren't clear! What the hell is going on there?!"

"Tal…..monster….wrecking…sur-ded….we…..bzzztt….ded…."

"Arcadios, Arcadios! Answer me dammit!"

"Where are the reinforcements?!" was all they heard before the magical feed was nothing but static.

"Arcadios?! Arcadios?! Respond, Squadron Chief Arcadios respond!"

"No good sir, I think the lacrima was destroyed"

"Dammit! Get communications back now! One of his units must still have a lacrima communications crystal "

"Yes sir" said the soldier as he tried in vain to regain communications.

"There goes another one…."

"Division Commander Lahar I presume?" said Erza, her stern and feminine voice breaking the man out of his trance.

"Oh Fairy Tail, you made it! Come one, we have a lot of work to do!"

"Wait, why were you screaming and why do you look like you just got out of bed?" asked Gray.

"I didn't just get out of bed, I've been here for hours! Now come, we have to deploy your unit to Magnolia immediately!"

"Commander Lahar, the Army division at Matza Valley has been ambushed and are in full retreat!"

"Tell those men to hold at Beggers Pass and wait for reinforcements!" he shouted all frantic.

"Why are you all still here?! I told you to get with the division!"

"Ummm… you didn't exactly tell us anything what division and where sir…." said Wendy, starting to be afraid of the frantic man.

"Commmander, we just got word the Piero Bridge has been destroyed! It was rigged with explosive runes!"

"Tell them to make a new one, fly over it, swim across it, ANYTHING! We need that bridge to secure the north-east coast!"

"Hey Juvia, I think he needs…well you know" whispered Natsu to the water mage.

"Didn't you already leave for the….I thought you…wait, Didn't I…GRRRAAHHH!"

That sound of frustration was all they needed and with a nod from Natsu Juvia Water Locked the man's head. It wasn't for long as she released her liquid tomb and left Lahar gasping.

"Juvia, what was that for?!" screamed Lucy.

Instead of the water mage answering, Natsu came to her defense.

"Lucy, wait. Look" he pointed to Lahar who was not even wet as he stood up and was all of a sudden more calm.

"You… you're Juvia Lockser right?"

"Yes" her voice not the very least repentant of almost technically drowning the man.

"Thank you, I needed that" Lahar was back to his old self. Sure his clothes were still a mess but he was back to his calm and controlled nature.

"Juvia, what did you do to him?" asked Gray.

"Oh it was a simple calming trick that I perfected Natsu-san, Gray-sama"

"Wait…Natsu? "

"Yes. Juvia already told you but when Gray-sama is not around Juvia hangs out with Natsu-san and get's to practice her waster techniques on him "

"You let her….practice on you?" Gray was confused. Seriously when did these two get so close?! Last he checked she was too obsessed over him to do anything useful….at least when they were in the guild.

"Yeah, she's pretty cool. I told you Gray you have got to hang out with her more"

"I really want to spend more time with you Gray-sama, that way you know the pleasure of Juvia's techniques just like Natsu-san does!" she said while blushing and squirming like mad at the very thought of more intimate times with her Gray-sama.

Not wanting to deal with her quirky nature now, he shifted attention back to Lahar.

"So….Lahar. Can you begin from the top and explain what's going on?"

"Oh, of course. I'm sorry for my little panic attack there"

He cleared his throat and aligned his glasses.

"The person I was talking to was Squadron Chief Arcadios. We sent him and his Cherry Blossom Holy Knight Squadron along with a deployment to try and retake Dawn City as part of Operation Dragon Lance and so far….everything is going wrong"

"How so?" inquired Fried. Though disheartened to hear that things were not going to plan, he also knew that most plans fall apart the moment you implement them. This was his chance to learn about the defenses they would face.

"From unending reports of ambushes, entire city blocks burning down, constant calls of reinforcements, and 'metal monsters' that seem unstoppable you take a guess"

"I see" he would need plenty more, but a start any start at this point was better than nothing.

"I'm starting to think we should have heeded Hiberion's words. He said something like this would happen…."

He took in a deep breath and let out sigh of defeat.

"But we can't turn back now. We still have the homeland advantage and they are outnumbered"

"Then what are we waiting for?! I'm so fired up I wanna get back into that city and pound that masked freak!" as if ignoring all that had just happened, Natsu just slammed his fists together and was itching to get his rematch.

"If the Royal Military had half of your enthusiasm we would be winning right now. Please, follow me as I lead you all to your division"

They followed him out of the theater and led them to a Royal Army division preparing their gear for the march.

"Fairy Tail, this is the recently formed 127th Royal Army division, First Regiment that you are to lead into Magnolia"

"Wait, we're leading all these soldiers?!" Wendy was surprised at the number of people since she had never seen the army before and now they were to lead all of them!

"Yes . They are at your disposal for the time being. All our division commanders are stretched with five or six divisions each in this operation so we're relying on the mages from the guilds"

"Hmmmmmm, an interesting solution. I do say Lahar you're brains certainly match your charm. You should reconsider my offer in joining Blue Pegasus. MEN" complimented Ichiya.

"You would so be pretty. You would so fit. You will be perfect because Iciya says it" the Trimen supported.

"I don't think I have….the skill. Anyway, I have a duty to the Rune Knights"

"Very well, but there will always be a spot open for you"

"Thanks….I guess?"

*ahem*

"As I was saying, you and this division along with the Second Regiment led by Lamia Scale are to deploy immediately and launch the assault on Magnolia. The railway is obliterated so you will have to march. If you excuse me, I have other divisions to manage"

As the man returned to his world of stress, one of the soldiers came up and introduced herself.

"Hello Fairy Tail I'm Deni. I'm the leader of this regiment and the division. I hope to work well with you"

"Greetings Deni. We hope to work well with you too" said Levi.

"Captain Deni, withal due respect I would like to know your military experience" asked Pantherlilly. He knew a thing or two about incompetent commanders and with what Lahar described he wanted to confirm a suspicion.

"Well…I'm no general or anything and I haven't been in that many battles but this responsibility is very important for me"

"Why is that?"

"Because like you, I also came from Magnolia. In fact, I was part of the garrison that was sent with you to Oshibana a few days ago"

"You came with us?"

"Yeah and pretty beat up too. The bastard stop the bleeding but not the sores or the puss for that matter"

"But why did they assign you so quickly?"

"Like Commander Lahar said, the command it stretched thin. Also something about having 'experience fighting the enemy' or something like that. But don't be too worried, like I said I've been in battles before and I was a garrison commander"

"Well I'm glad to fight with you. Let's take our city back!" shouted Natsu in excitement.

"I like your attitude kid "

She then turned to the multitude of people behind her.

"Alright people, we're moving out! Make sure you have all your gear and check your armor, we might not get a second chance if you forget something! "

A few clanking sounds later, they were all ready to march.

"127th, march!"

They all fell into columns and followed their lines as the rhythm of marching rang in the air with Fairy Tail in tow.

...

...

* * *

Around half way through the journey Pantherlilly approached Deni again, this time in his normal exceed form.

"Oh it's you again….Wait, didn't you use to be bigger?"

"I'm saving my strength for the fight"

"You can transform? Neat! So how are they holding up?"

"A bit winded but they'll survive. Are they all military?"

"Quite a few. Many others were recent conscripts by order of the king, not that he need it though since a lot of people were eager to join in"

"Just as I thought"

"You have a good eye for spotting that. Were you in the military too?"

"Used to be before I joined the guild"

"You're rank?"

"General"

"No way! Of this army?" she was surprised to hear that this little cat thing was a general.

"No, it was another army"

"Which one? Come on now, tell me the details"

"It's…complicated"

"Suit yourself sir" she said in a playful manner

"Still though, if you were a general I could use some advice"

"Glady. Anything to help get our home back"

"What are you two talking about?" asked Erza as she approached her.

"We were just talking about military stuff"

"Well, whatever the case I hope this plan works"

"Don't worry, I discussed the plan with commander Lahar"

"It's not that I'm worried about, but the men. They don't know what it's like fighting these guys"

"You sure sound like you know what it's like"

"I do because I fought them. I liberated Sorien and two other cities on my way to the capital"

"Eeeehhhh?! So you're the one that single handedly took down three towns worth of them and started Operation Dragon Lance?!"

"I guess"

"Wow, you mages sure are amazing! I wish I was one"

"I could see potential in you. Maybe you just have to find your spark"

"Sadly for me the only spark I found was with another was with a bafoon in the garrison. Great swordsman with a defense I can't break and lazy too but he's got a good, kind heart and is somewhat clever"

"So that means you two are in a relationship?" Erza was a mighty warrior but love was one of the few things that both stumped her and piqued her interest.

"I guess. Well technically no, but also yes. I mean he did finally ask me out but just as I was checking the place for our date this stupid invasion happened!"

"Um….what….what was it like?"Erza had only read of men asking girls on dates in her books and maybe watched some shows but other than that she never experienced it not even with Jellal granted her…less than normal history with the blue haired mage. She wondered how he was doing now?

"You've never been asked out before? Sure I wasn't any different a few days ago but seriously you look gorgeous! I'm sure at least somebody asked you out or has an eye on you? "

"No, not really. I'm….. not too good with that type of stuff or have the time. I've read about it though"

"Ahhhh, so you're one of those strong, hard to get types? I see, I see. Still, some boy must like you. It would be a crime not to"

"Well…..there is one…..but…..it's very complicated. I don't even think complicated is the right word" she thought that even if she told her about Jellal she wouldn't believe it. Even she had a hard time with that man and even thinking about their "relationship" just made her head spin.

"Huh, tell me about it. But only one? Come on, with those looks you can't have just one! You know, just like that commercial!"

"Hmmmm….." she thought deep and hard and processed the faces of all the males she ever came into contact with and narrowed it down to her guild mates to which a certain face popped out…or two?

"Maybe, nah. He's like a little brother to me and he always gets into trouble" she quickly dismissed such a thought since she did really see him as a younger brother of sorts.

"The whole he's like a brother to me trope huh? Now I know you've got an interesting lovelife"

"Wait….did you actually hear that? Weird, that was supposed to stay in my head"

"Hahaha, I guess you still have the heart of a girl after all. You just have to let it out more "

"Oh well, there's no harm in it"

"So how close are you two?"

"Close, I guess"

"Come on. I need more details than that. Give me a gauge, a range, something other than close"

"I don't know…we fight plenty of times…he's goofy...and we used to bathe a lot when we were younger though keeping both of them in the bath was a challenge"

"That sounds PRETTY close to me"

"Yeah but they're both idiots especially him"

"I can realate to your case now that I think about it. My advice, you should do some 'upon closer inspection' "

"What do you mean?"

"Well…..let's just say you already have a good base that needs just the right spark"

"Now you're telling me about sparks but I still don't get it though"

"Hahahaha! One day you will just like I'll maybe get my magic whatever that is"

"*ahem* I'm sorry to interrupt you two ladies but weren't we supposed to discuss about the attack on Magnolia?" Pantherlilly's commander instinct kicked in and he had to interrupt them and though hearing human girl gossip was a guilty pleasure of his the looming issue that was the Magnolia attack was of utmost importance.

"Like I said 'sir', I've discussed the plan in depth with commander Lahar. All that's left to do is to meet up with the Second Regiment and finalize everything. Though now would be a good time to give me those tips "

"Certainly, so what do you need to know?"

"Oh my, where do I even start?"

So the rest of the trip was the Exceed passing down his military knowledge to the eager lady until they finally came upon Magnolia where they were greeted by an unexpected sight.

"Well…..that's weird " Deni's words echoed the thoughts of all those around her.

What they had expected was to see were either defensive emplacements as far as the eye could see making them pay for every inch of the city or fallen homes that dotted a ruinous landscape.

What was before them was neither, instead it was their city. What made that strange was that it looked completely fine. No ruined buildings, no destroyed floors, no scattered objects, no defensive entrenchments, nothing. It was almost as if the invasion didn't happen at all.

"Um….This is Magnolia, right? I mean, did we take a wrong left turn or something?"

"No, this is Magnolia. I can see our guild from here" said Erza as she pointed out their building standing tall in the distance.

"Are you sure? I mean, there's nothing here. I'm really starting to think we made a wrong turn"

"Well we didn't because I'm seeing the Second Regiment over there" said Pantherlilly. True enough there were fellow soldiers carrying the emblem of the Royal Army and led by Lamia Scale: Yuka Suzuki, Toby Horhorta, Sherry Blendy, and last but not the least the cool Lyon Vastia.

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why the city is empty. Maybe they left?"

"I doubt it. These are the kind of people that would stand their ground" said Erza.

"Woah, there's a lot more of them!" said Wendy.

"We're really going on with this huh?" said Gray.

"Now this is a fighting force! It's truly manly!" shouted Elfman.

"Not bad….." commented Fried.

So without further delay the two armies closed the distance and merged, creating a blob that darkened the hillside.

…

….

On the roofs of nearby buildings stood enemy sentry after enemy sentry, skillfully in hiding their presence they quietly observed the amassing tide of enemy soldiers about to poor unto them.

They dutifully held up their lacrima crystals, each collecting a small part of a bigger picture and transmitting it back to a map on a table. A table that was being lorded over by Exyle Night himself.

"My lord, do you see this?" asked the warrior on the other side.

"Indeed I do. That's quite a lot of them" the images came slowly on the paper until it was finally completed. From end to end they were covered with soldiers that reached the edge of the map.

"Have you found their command structure and who is leading this assault?"

"I'm not so sure my lord, but those mages from Fairy Tail have returned and it looks like they brought other mages"

"Other mages?" the image focused on Ichiya and Lami Scale.

"So it is. Captain, I wish to know the origin of these mages. Search through our spy logs of this land and make haste"

"I shall obey my lord!" said the nearby captain as he went off.

He then looked back at the map until he saw Erza.

"Hold. This one….this one seems interesting"

He inspected her from top to bottom, from her armor to her eyes he could feel a presence of strength and authority emanating from her every being.

The depths of his mind churned as if drew upon is deep wells of experience and knowledge to try and form an identity, a profile, a framework for this ….Scarlet Knight.

So lost and captivate was he in trying to decipher this woman that he failed to notice Gjorum coming at him from behind.

"Hey four eyes, what's the biz?"

He gave no answer as he was still in his forest of thought.

"Hey, you losing your hearing yet or what?"

Still getting no answer, he looked at the map and saw Erza for himself.

"*whistle* Damn, she looks hot! Though why am I getting a sense of dejavu? "

Still no reply, he then shouted in Exyle's ear.

"HEY, empire to Exyle! I know she's pretty but you're gonna have to wake up any time now!"

The shouting was enough top grin Exyle out of his forest of though and back into he world.

"Oh, Gjorum. I didn't notice you there"

"Well duh, of course you didn't. You were too busy thinking of pery thoughts about that chick weren't you?"

"On the contrary, I was trying to form a profile of her in my head. For some reason her presence is….interesting"

"Kek, love at first sight?"

"Nothing so silly, but rather more…foreboding"

"Four…what?"

"I have a bad feeling about her"

"Pffftt, why didn't you just say so?"

"I did"

"Yeah, whatever. Anyhoo, are those all the guys we're gonna fight?"

"Definitely"

"How many do ya think are there?"

Exyle reaches out for the image and turns it around, inspecting the entire area for more possible reinforcements thanks to the spies he left around the outside of the city.

"I figure about a division worth. So around 10 to 15 thousand soldiers" he said after he was satisfied that the enemy was all gathered.

"*whistle*Damn, they're really on board with this"

"They have to be, this is their home after all"

"Heh, bet you can't kill more than I can"

"Challenge accepted"

"ALRIGHT! LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"

"Are your defenses even prepared or sufficient?"

"Hey you know me, it's not as pretty as yours but I make it up as I go along. Besides, they're gonna fall for both of ours. You always make sure of that " was all Gjorum said before excitedly he ran out of the building.

After inspecting the map a few times more, he was finally satisfied.

"All warriors, proceed to your positions as planned . We have plenty of flies about to enter our parlor and it would be rude to not make our guests feel welcome" he commanded, ominous vibes dripping from every word.

...

...

* * *

The two armies merged and through all the commotion Fairy Tail and Blue Pegasus were finally able to meet Lamia Scale.

"Yo, Lamia Scale. It's been a long time!" be they former enemies or old Natsu was always glad to see a friend and even if sometimes they were not seeing such a welcoming face eventually opened them all up.

"Natsu, good to see that you are still jolly as always" said Lyon with all his cool and calm.

"Ahh, Lyon! How's the prettiest boy in Lamia Scale doing? MEN" asked Ichiya.

"A pleasure to see you too Ichiya"

The Ice mage then noticed a certain water mage in their ranks and he ignored the rest as he went for her.

"And to you my darling Juvia, fate has brought us together again"

Juvia could not resist the swoon and charm, but her "love" for her Gray-sama left her conflicted, stuttering, and blushing all at once.

"Back off creep, she's obviously disturbed by you" said Gray.

"Well if it isn't my inferior in every way, shape and form. Did you say something important or was it another one of your ramblings?"

"Ramblings eh? Not only are you a pervert but you're going deaf too "

"It seems your vocabulary has increased. I do wonder why you always did so poorly on Ur's spelling tests"

"I'm sorry, I don't think you hear me quite clearly. Here, let me spell my point across your face with my fist!"

"Allow me to return the favor!" he said before the two started to brawl, leaving Juvia even more confused as she thought they were fighting for her hand.

"Oh the passion of these two is truly pure! Such display of brotherly affection towards one another! Oh love, how you bring beauty to this world" expounded Sherry with all her passion.

"Know your limits you filthy beast!" protested Charles to a sniffing Toby that was getting too close.

Yuka was just leering at our ever loveable Wendy, both from not having seen her before and at the fact that she was taller than him. This caused some distraught in the girl but her calls for a reason were only met with more stares.

"It's good to see all of you though I was expecting Jura to come along "

Lyon casually held Gray back as he turned his attention towards Erza.

"Jura was in the capital handling some Wizard Saint duties when the invasion happened"

"What about Margaret Town? Are you sure it's safe"

"We drove them off rather early and they haven't returned since but the guild is on high alert . Besides, Magnolia requires our aid and it would be mad to not aid our friends "he said before Gray snuck in a punch and they continued their brawl.

"I see. We could've really used his help"

"Wait, Jura? As in Iron Rock Jura?" asked Deni.

"Yes. He's even a close friend of ours"

"You know a Wizard Saint too? Man you people REALLY have interesting lives. Mine is boring"

"Don't say that. Look once we retake the city you can have your love life back and maybe introduce me to your special someone"

"Umm…that's going to be a problem"

"Why, didn't he come along with you?"

"No" from there Erza could sense that she was distraught.

"When we were captured, I couldn't find him anywhere. The Garrison was spread throughout the city so I don't know where he was. When we were finally leaving I couldn't see him among our injured "

She took a deep breath and looked unto the city.

"I don't know how many of my friends or comrades are still alive. I'm hoping that some of them got away or are hiding among the civilians but….."

"This is why I said this duty is important to me. Not only that, some of the men had friends and family in Magnolia too so this is very personal for all of us "

Erza gave her a strong hand and when she looked into her firm feminine eyes she no longer felt worried.

"Don't worry. You and I will find him together. I promise you that"

"Mmm, Thank you Erza"

"Anytime"

"Now then, I'll have to find the Second Regiment leader and finalize the plans" she then disappeared in the armed mass to look for her fellow commander.

"Ahh the bonds of love sure makes one rise to the occasion do they not? MEN" Ichiya said.

"As my books say, never underestimate a girl especially when love is involved"

"I do not doubt that my sweet for I know you will do the same for me "

"Don't count on it"

"Playing hard to get as always? I can't blame you it's one of your beautiful traits"

"Still, are you sure you're prepared for this Ichiya? These guys are no joke and even I struggled to beat them"

"With you and my parfum by my side, I fear no battle so you need not worry"

"Haha. It's an honor to fight by your side"

"To you as well my sweet. It's just like old times"

"Old times indeed"

An hour or so passed with Pantherlilly and Fried making last minuet adjustments to the plans of attack before everything was set. The Division was divided into four parts, each led by a mixture of Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus.

The armed tide was neatly organized and steeled themselves for the liberation of Magnolia. Before they were to spill blood, they were first to ready their spirits and that was the role of the commanders.

"Pssstt. Erza, come over here"

The mage broke rank and approached Deni.

"What is it?"

"Can you give the whole pre-battle speech? I'm not so good in front of a crowd"

Having a chance to show off her theater skills, she was ecstatic to say the very least.

"But….what are my lines?"

"Just anything to get everyone pumped for the fight"

Improv theater too? Oh how she was waiting for such a chance! Should she use her arms? Have a little flair with her sword? Maybe a little of both? Should she use the accents she's been practicing? Oooohhhh she just couldn't wait!

Was what she thought before she stood above a nearby rock and just froze when the sea of eyes fell upon her.

"Umm….we…c-c-ccome….to….to…give….us….l-l-l-lliberty…Four sc-sc-score annndd…."every second felt like she was drowning and the words coming out of her mouth her desperate gasps for air.

Everyone couldn't help but sweatdrop at the awkward situation (Best general speech ever, would listen to again, Abe would be proud, 10/10 - IGN). Even Deni couldn't help but feel guilty for putting her through such an ordeal.

"Psst, Erza. Come here" she leaned over and listened to what she had to say.

After that quick rehearsal, Erza was ready to begin.

"Everyone! I know some of you are scared, I know some of you are angry, I know some of you are worried but know that you are not alone. We all feel that way and there is nothing wrong with that. You may have heard rumors about the strength of our enemy and I am here to say that some of them are actually true. Even when I defeated them they showed me things I've never seen before. But another things that's true is that they're not unbeatable! I have defeated them! Lamai Scale has defeated them! They fall like any other man, their monsters can be slain, and they can be broken. I may have had magic at my side, but you have your fellow man, your fellow friends and a spirit that they can never break! They came into our land, our home and they've overstayed their welcome. Come Fiorens, charge with me into battle and glory so we may bring them to the flames of their reckoning! ET UT VICERET! "

"ET UT VICERET!" they shouted the Royal Army motto out loud.

Now that was a proper war speech. The air was alive as eager calls for battle danced around.

The Scarlet Warrior stepped down to prepare herself for war.

"Wow! You were amazing Erza! How did think of all those words? " complimented Natsu.

"It came from a book I was recently reading though I had to improvise on some parts"

"But how did you recover so quickly?"

"She just told me to look at the horizon and it worked. I should try it next time I'm in a play "

"Well done Miss Scarlet. We are now ready to face fate" said Lyon.

"Yes a truly impressive speech for a lovely such as yourself Erza" said Ichiya.

"Alright, enough talk everybody. We have a city to reclaim"

They returned to their groups and with her sword held up high Erza let out a cry that was just as high.

"TO WAR!"

...

...

* * *

The horde poured into the city with every road and path they could find filling with men and metal seeking to sweep away any foreign body.

They were in the outskirts, then they passed the markets, then the homes, until they reached deep into the city unimpeded.

The shouts died down and the feet stood still as the eerie silence of the town sunk itself deep into their minds.

The pristine state of the city along with the lack of any living soul save for theirs invited a chill that only frequented graveyards at the most darkest of nights. That is was still day only emphasized its ominous serenity.

"Shhhhh….. do any of you hear that?"

"We don't hear anything sir"

"That humming. You don't hear the humming?"

"No sir. Nothing"

"I hear it, though I think that's the silence playing tricks on our heads" said Gajeel.

"Maybe" Exceed hearing was more exceptional than a humans. Usually when they heard something they hear something but perhaps this time it was his senses betraying him.

"We should reach the city center at any moment. Be vigilant"

I another corner of the city, Lucy and Levy were leading their group and they were shaking with every step.

"Lucy, this is getting creepy. It's like we're in a haunted house or something"

"I know right? These buildings seem to go on forever"

"Don't be scared ladies, a real man is here to protect you!" Elfman shouted though the silence was starting to get to him too.

As the girls were not helping in morale, another one was keeping it strong.

"Keep your eyes open and your weapons ready. Inspect every corner you can but stay focused they could strike at anytime!" her strong voice hid her doubt rather well. The moment she was spotted in Sorien they jumped all over her but in here…

"Ma'am, there's a message!" one of the soldiers shouted. When Erza answered it was Fried who was there.

"Erza, what's your situation?"

"Nobody. The whole area is completely empty. It's nothing like Sorien at all"

"I'm starting to wonder if they really did leave"

"If so then why are the houses rebuilt so quickly? What advantage could they gain with that?"

"I don't know but listen can you open the doors on your side? The men here can't seem to get into any building "

She went for the nearest door and opened it, revealing a home in pristine condition.

"Yes, we can open them and everything is so tidy"

"That's strange. What are your thoughts on this?"

"I don't know, but …..what's that coming from your side?"

"Oh that? It's just Bickslow. The quiet is driving him mad and some of the men are getting anxious"

"Keep Bicklsow in check. Report when you find something else"

"Roger"

The image faded and Erza marched on with her group.

"Hey Erza when are we going to fight?" the whole ordeal didn't faze Natsu as he was only concerned with getting his rematch.

"Be quiet Natsu, I'm trying to think"

"Don't bug her Natsu. Erza is in totally serious mode right now" cautioned Happy.

"Why should she be? I mean were not fighting anybody"

"True. Maybe this will be easier than we thought"

"I don't want it easy, I want a challenge"

"Be careful what you ask for flame brain" retorted Gray.

As if to answer the Drgaonslayers wish however, Erza immediately stopped the entire column. Natsu made his way to the front to find out why.

"What's wrong Erza?"

The mage couldn't speak as she only looked on with utmost confusion. When Natsu turned his head he too was met with the same emotion as they say a woman in the middle of their path with tattered clothes and who had a tongue wrapped around her.

…..Yes it's a tongue and before you think anything else just wait.

On Panterlilly's side of things, his column finally reached the center of the town and were dully securing it until Ichiya found a child hiding under a crate.

"Pantherlilly, take a look at this!"

"A child?" sure enough it was a child. It was the first sign of life in the empty city so he knew that it was still occupied. However, he had to make sure.

As he approached, the child flinched clearly intimidated by his imposing figure.

Thinking quickly he immediately transformed into his smaller self which had an immediate effect.

"Don't be scared little one. Look, I'm just a cat see? Nyah"

"Cat?" though still scared she was starting to open up.

"Yes, I'm a cat. Not a scary monster. See my tail".

"Cat" was all she could say. She approached the Exceed and began patting it to confirm if it was real.

"Yes, yes. I'm a cat. Now can you please tell what happened to all the other humans?"

"Other humans?..." when the Exceed looked closer the girl had a dead look in her eyes. The kind of eyes that only traumatized children would have, eyes that he has seen plenty of in his many campaigns.

"It would seem that she's too shocked to answer" Ichiya said.

"This is serious. I didn't it would come to this…." he then came closer to the girl and started rubbing himself on her. The warm and fuzzy feeling caught her attention and as she hugged the Exceed she broke out of her trance and immediately started screaming.

"You real…..you're real!" the girl couldn't help but burst into tears as she hugged him.

"Shhhh, it's okay. is here to help you"

While Pantherlilly was comforting the child, Lucy and her group came upon a misty fog.

"A fog? In the middle of the city? Are you serious?!"

"Lucy-san, this is getting reeeeaaaallyy creepy now" said Levy.

"Don't be scared! I'll be here to protect you!" shouted Elfman again.

"Must you always shout that out?" asked Yuka who was ignored.

The column sensibly stopped in its tracks as the fog lingered a few feet from them, not even seeping to meet their feet it was as if an invisible wall held it at bay.

"Um…Elfman? What do we do now?"

"Don't ask me Lucy I'm following your lead"

"Levy? Any thoughts?"

"Well I know we SHOULDN'T go into the creepy fog but…."

"Perhaps we can disperse it" Yuka suggested.

While they were discussing, they failed to notice Toby who was inching closer to the fog. By the time they did the animal mage already stuck his heads into it proving that there was no barrier and to the relief of his friends that it was not harmful.

"Voices. I hear voices"

"Toby, haven't you been paying attention? There are no people for blocks on end" said Yuka.

"No I mean I hear people voices in the fog"

"Are you serious?" still in doubt as to whether his friend was hearing something that was real, he hesitantly put his head into the fog and true enough he heard voices.

"Wow, you were right Toby. There are voices in here"

Since there was nothing else they could do they stuck their heads into the fog and true enough there were voices.

At first they were ethereal, wailing into the air as they formed indistinguishable words but slowly and surely they started to make more sense.

"Levy…do you hear that?"

"Yeah….it sounds like people screaming for help!"

"No way! Did we finally find everybody?"

"I would appear so. Good work Toby" said Yuka.

"Woof!"

"But guys, they're IN the creepy fog!"

"But Levy-chan, they NEED our help. I mean isn't that what we came here for?" though her tone was far from convincing what she said was true.

"I know but….."

"Well we obviously can't go back so I say we go forward!" immediately Elfman grabbed both girls and lifted them up.

"Eh?Elfamn? What are you-"

"No talk! We charge and save them like MEN!" with both girls in his arms he ran into the fog, leaving his column behind.

"Um….should we follow them?" asked Toby.

"What choice do we have? Everyone march and follow the voices! Quickly!"

And so the whole column advanced, albeit hesitantly, into the thick creepy mist.

Returning to Erza's side of things….

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?" asked Gray. He has seen quite some stuff and when people like him have to ask you know it's something.

"It looks like a tongue soooooooooo I guess it's true?" even Natsu was confused as to why a lady was wrapped in a stretched tongue of all things.

"Boys, focus. Ma'am, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

"Oh thank the gods please….Please…Help me!"

Natsu was the first to try but he was stopped by Erza.

"Ma'am, what happened here? Why is Magnolia fine and where is everybody?"

"Please you have to get me out of here! He might pull me back anytime!"

"He? Who's he? Ma'am please calm down"

"Please, please, please get me out , get me out, get me out!"

"Ma'am calm down. Take a deep breath. We'll get you out but first you have to tell me where everybody else is"

"Everybody? Um…okay…uh…they're…. they're being held inside the Caldia Cathedral building"

"How many people?"

"I don't know exactly but a lot of the town is in there"

"How is that possible? At best the Cathedral could hold maybe 300 people" said Gray. He's been there before but not for the services but because Juvia said something about it being a date hotspot and then dragged him there

"They used some magic to make the inside bigger than the outside. Now please get me out!"

"Don't worry ma'am, we'll help you" said Erza.

However it was easier said than done as the digestive organ was surprisingly coarse.

"What the hell it feel like sandpaper!" said Gray as he tried in vain to budge it even an inch.

"And it's really long too. I wish I had a tongue like this" said Natsu as he poked the rest of the tongue that extended into the city.

On Pantherlilly's side of things were more or less straightforward.

"Shh, it's okay. is here. Don't cry now" he had plenty of experience dealing with civilians affected by war but it broke his heart a little bit every time he had to deal with a child.

"Yes little lady. Crying doesn't suit someone as beautiful as yourself"

It took a while before the child would calm down and finally speak

" , please help my mommy and daddy!"

"Calm down child. Tell where your mommy and daddy is"

"They…. They're in the very old , tall building"

"Old, tall? You mean the Cathedral?"

The child nodded.

"That's not far from here. In fact, we could take a detachment there right now" the exceed suggested.

"I say we go for it" replied Ichiya

"Agreed"

Pantherlilly left the child to the care of Ichiya as he transformed back to his battle form to gather the troops.

"All of you. Continue securing the center while I take some of you and capture the Cathedral. According to the child we found the citizens. Gajeel, I suggest you come along"

"Kek. I was starting to wonder whether this would be too easy. Guess I was wrong."

While Pantherlilly's prepared to storm the Cathedral, Lucy's side wasn't anywhere near doing anything other than getting lost.

"Hoy! Wait! Do you even know where you're going?" she protested

"To the voices! Where else?!" said Elfman.

"Yeah but can you put us down? "asked Levy.

"No time! We must chaaaarge!"

"At least make sure the rest catch up….." not that Levy could do anything about it since she wanted to get as quickly out from the fog as possible.

Unbeknownst to them, what they heard was not the only denizen of the mist. Cries for help echoed from every alley, every open door, and every corner the fog touched . Confounding the soldiers who investigated them en masse only to never be heard from again all to the ignorance of their fellow comrades.

Where the fog was unyielding to its secrets the tongue on Erza's side was just plain unyielding.

"Hoy Natsu! Stop poking it and help me with this damn thing!" the abrasions on his hands were adding to his frustrations and the Dragonslayer not helping only made it seem worse.

"Fine, fine. I'll help you ya weakling"

After a few good, futile tugs he quickly understood the ice mages frustration.

"What ever happened to 'I'll help you ya weakling'?"

"Shut up and pull!"

A few more good tugs later and as they were about to get the first knot the tounge tightened and started to bulge.

"Oh no….. he noticed….." the woman's face filled with pure terror as the tongue tightened even more and she started to desperately claw at it.

The tongue bulged one last time before she looked at them with sheer helplessness.

"Help….me…"

And with that she was off with the tongue pulled her at great speeds into the city.

"Hey wait!" Natsu without a second though ran after her.

"You idiot don't just run off!" said Gray as he followed behind.

"*sigh*Those morons" said Erza. To be honest she should've seen this coming .

"Erza, go. Keep them safe and save everyone else" said Wendy.

"Eh, but how are you…"

"Don't worry Erza, me and the Trimen will help her take care of things here. You go and help those boys" said Sherry.

The look in their eyes told her that she could count on them.

"Okay, I'll leave it to you"

"Some of you are coming with me! Let's go save our people!" she , Deni, and quite a number of soldiers than ran off with her.

...

...

* * *

Natsu was keeping pace but whoever was the owner of this tongue must have been really strong to pull it that fast.

It effortlessly weaved around corners as if it had eyes which confused the Dragonslayer and forced him to jump of the roof to try and cut it off.

He didn't catch it but he was finally able to see where it lead. Caldia Cathedral. Natsu remembered that it was the place where he beat Laxus (with the help of others but he did the finishing blow so it still counts).

The woman was pulled into its dark depths as Natsu stopped to catch his breath.

"Damn! Oh…my legs…. They're cramping" he didn't notice just how far he had run until his legs started aching like crazy.

"Natsu! Wait for me you flamebrain!" said Gray who was tired as well finally cuaght with Erza and her escort not far behind.

"Natsu don't just run of like that. Remember we're in a war now and you have to be more careful" scolded Erza who didn't looked the least bit tired.

"Did you at least catch them flamebrain?" asked Gray.

"Shut up at least I kept pace and no I didn't but they went in there"

"So this is where they're being held. Alright everyone gather your breth and prepare to take the Cathedral!" Erza commanded.

Just then Elfman emerged from the fog.

"Erza, glad to see you made it" he said.

"Put us down!" Lucy complained for what seemed like the millionth time of which the takeover mage finally obliged.

And just like clockwork Pantherlilly arrived with an even bigger detachment.

"So you guys made it here too. What coincidence" he said with a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"Did any of you find anybody at all?" Erza asked.

"No. We still haven't found anyone and from what this child tells me all the civilians are in there"

"You didn't find anyone too? I thought it was only us" said Elfman.

"What happened to your detachment Elfman?" she asked.

"Wait…. You mean they didn't come out of the fog yet?!" he sounded genuinely surprised.

"Of course not I told you to wait for them" scolded Levy.

"This is odd. First a tongue then a child and now a fog? How does this all connect?" Erza was right. How did these random things connect in any meaningful way and what on earth di the invaders have in mind.

Seriously someone tell me I have no clue.

"In any case I say we don't delay and save the civilians as soon as possible" urged Panterlilly.

"What about Fried?"

"He won't make it here in time and we already have the men so I say we go"

"Everyone else agree?" her friends and the soldiers all gave their approval.

"Alright. Let' save out city!"

So they all poured into the Cathedral, ready to fight any and all who stood in their way. They were going to save their friends and family. They were going to defend their home. They were going to fight.

Even if, at their expense and their ignorance, all they had wished and all that had happened was all according to plan.

...

...

* * *

 **And so again it ends. I thank you all my audience yet again for your patience and your support.**

 **I had also noticed that with this chapter we have breached the 100,000 word mark. a truly amazing feat but one not so easily accomplished. To my fortune, I had you the audience at my side to bring me there. My gratitude is eternal.**

 **I shall try to accomplish the 1 week standard again and perhaps while the cast prepare and rest for the main performance a few side shows (side fanfictions like** **Behave Suspiciously! Revive to refresh my mind and to occupy you lot) may come come out in greater frequency.**

 **Thus ends another chapter in this long arduous play. I thank you for your eyes and ears.**

 **Feel free to comment, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit. Just please do leave a comment**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	13. Chapter 13 - Check

**May I state for the record that I am aware that I have missed my submission for this chapter for an entire month. A shameful display on my part but a chapter that reaches beyond 5,000 words is an undertaking that by my criteria requires more refinement. Not only that, this chapter is one of the important phases of this story seeing as this is the first major conflict between the two powers with their little duel being only the appetizer. However, I should've accomplished more with the one month presented and for such...disappointing results I truly apologize.**

 **But my incompetency aside, I would like to ask you if Kardia is spelled with a K or a C. A little detail no doubt but I take the term Grammar Nazi with pride... generally speaking. Someone please do tell me.  
**

 **Another thing of note is that single apostrophe dialogues are considered thought/thought bubbles**

Spiritual-Sister chapter 1 . 21h ago

For those who do not already know, we're living in the last days; the times Jesus Christ warned about.

All the issues going on is on a worldwide scale and its one of many proofs that these are the end times.

If you know deep down in your heart this is true & you feel something is not right in the world... I highly encourage you to seek our father in heaven while he may be found and to come out of this world while there is still time. Like 1 John 2:17 indicates in the written word aka the bible:

"The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever."

Many people are too caught up and is focused on the wrong things in life thanks to all the distractions going on when they need to realize destruction & judgment is not too far away. Fleeing to other countries or protesting on the streets is not going to make things better or save you; it's the love of Christ and your faith.

As long as your seeking Jesus Christ, you're gonna be okay. But if you're loving this life or is just so attached to this world... you're going to lose it. That is why I encourage you all to draw close to the father in heaven. You draw close to him and he will draw close to you. Do what you can to repent (turn away or stop doing it) of your sins. We all say & do things and stumble since we're imperfect creatures but if you sincerely go to the father in prayer and ask for forgiveness, he will forgive you; you just gotta mean what you say and repent.

Nobody comes to the father but through the son. You deny the son and you deny the father. But if you accept the son then you have the father. It's by Jesus' blood we're redeemed back to the father in heaven so you want to seek him in all your ways.

The father in heaven knows the hearts & minds of all of us so he knows who you are deep down and what you've been through. He cares about you. When you open up your heart and allow the father & son in your life, they're gonna take you where you need to go but you gotta be willing to seek them for yourself. Nobody can build your relationship with Jesus Christ. It's up to you to read the bible for yourself & seek the truth; reading the word of god feeds the spirit, gives you knowledge and helps clears up the lies & deceptions of the world.

Time is so very, very short since things are just escalating day-to-day. Don't allow the spirit of fear to overcome you. Just draw close to the father in prayer, let go of this dying world, repent and follow Jesus. Following Jesus Christ keeps one out of sin but it also separates you from this world and that's the direction you want to go; toward the son of the most high, our savior and redeemer.

Take care and remember it's the love of Christ and your faith. Don't allow anyone or anything to hinder you. Forgive and let go since we all fall short.

 **I didn't expect to find this here and I think it's a first for this site unless one of you prove me wrong but since I can't reply I'll shall leave it here for any who find interest in it^_^**

 **One more apology, yes I know you may find this tiresome but what other thing can I do to let you know of my regret? I apologize for not posting this on on a Sunday but instead in a weird schedule when most people are at work, school, or other endevour. Again, my apologies.**

 **That is the end of my rambling and I shall not keep you any further. You came for a story not a pity session.**

 **So please, leave the troubles and toils of your world for just a moment as I present to you the nect act of Fairy Tail : The Imperium Encounter**

 **As Always, leave your critique if you are so inclined. Please?**

* * *

*Kardia Cathedral. The oldest building in Magnolia and one of the three grand cathedrals across the country. With the second being in the capital and the third in a secluded place high up in the mountains near the capital reserved for the most pious that seek a quiet life to practice their doctrines and their magic while making some coin on the persistent tourists that come year after year.

Marvels in engineering and design while also an epitome of craftsmanship, legend says that the simple monks who built them were actually lost crusaders on their way home but that they stayed because they "acquired" powerful magical items that the king feared and that they smuggled some back home for their holy city to study. The ones they didn't were hidden away somewhere in the Cathedrals and acted as insurance should they ever be attacked in the foreign land.

Other rumors say that they were thank you gifts from the king. Though many don't know why, it was around their time that knights first started to appear within the Royal Army so naturally there was a connection even if the monks never showed any violence whatsoever.

Whatever the truth they are long dead but their Cathedrals still stand spreading it's message and granting sanctuary to all those who need it.

But it was not sanctuary the Fiorens found when they entered its hallowed halls.

Its role had been made into a twisted, nay perverse version of itself in where instead of keeping the harm out it harmed by keeping you in.

Cages filled with people reaching up towards heaven while others bound to earth in chains as far as the eye could see. It's innards that once harbored an almost holy light to compliment its divine purpose now was dark and harbored an ill fog.

It was just as the Fairy Tail mages had experienced after their defeat only on a grander and more despairing state.

"What the…?" for one of the few times in her life Erza was at a loss of words. The sight brought back memories of a helpless slave girl in chains who served the masters of a crystal tower.

With those memories came the emotions.

The fear that your life may be taken at any moment and you would never know why.

The despair from being caged/chained like an animal with no hope of escape.

The sheer helplessness from living like a maltreated slave.

All of them and more came rushing back into her and for the moment she was effectively paralyzed.

The echoes of pain and the clanging of cages echoed around her as the cold tang of metal chains started to weigh down on her wrists. Shackles coiled around her legs, tightening harder and harder as every second passed.

What was eternity in her mind was long enough in the real world to concern her pink haired dragon.

"a…za….rza…..erza…Erza! What's wrong?" the distant echoes of his voice finally became strong and clear enough to break her from her bad dream.

"Huh?"

"Erza, you were staring into the ceiling. Are you okay?" asked Demi.

"Erza darling you looked really dead inside though with such an unfabulous sight before us I could hardly blame you " added Ichiya.

"Was I ? " she sounded doubtful as if for a second that the freedom, the friends, and the family she had gained were the dream and that her slavery was still real.

But it was only for a second as it was Natsu yet again who brought her back to reality and made her doubt her doubts.

"You were and I could feel that you were really bothered. What were you thinking of?"

"Oh…. Just….. old memories….Nothing important" with that she was back to her old self and quickly returned her attention to the civilians.

"But what is important are these people. We have to free them and get them out of the city while our enemy has yet to show themselves. Everyone, let's go !"

Immediately the Fiorens started breaking chains and busting open cages. People left the cathedral in droves but the Fiorens still had their work cut out for them in giant slabs.

Such an ease in war would either tell of trickery, luck, or incompetence and from what we have seen so far we all know which is which.

Barely any majority of prisoners stepped out into freedom before chains shot out from the bowels of the Cathedral to seal the gothic doors once again.

"That's as faaaaaaaaaarrrr as you go ladies. Can't give you too much of a breather"

"That voice… It's you isn't it! That guy from before!" shouted Natsu.

"Awwww come on! I have a name ya know!"

"Um.. right! Uh….Goarg!"

"No I think it was Graug" said Gray.

"No I believe something like Germ" added Lucy.

"No, no it was definitely Yorm. It had a Y-ish shound to it" added Gajeel.

"I remember his name having Rum or something along that line" stated Charles.

"I remember now! It's Yarin! Or was is Yorin? Yoyo?" questioned Happy.

"I think it was more of a silent G than a Y" Pantherlilly

"Honestly Juvia does not even remember" conceded the water mage.

"Uhh…..Uhh…..Hmmmmm" was all the ever lovable Wendy said as she thought really hard.

"Jerry! I know his name is Jerry! Jerry is a manly name!" shouted Elfman.

"Don't look at me I was too busy being beat up" said Demi.

"Oh, I know! It's Garrus!" said Levy confidently.

"No, no, no, no , NO and who the hell is Garrus?! It's Gjorum dammit! Gjorum Straum! Seriously why do people keep getting that wrong?! Meanwhile the masked freak who's a shut-in is known everywhere! How is that fair?! " protested Gjorum like a frustrated little child.

"Gjorum….. I know that name. One of the survivors from Minstrel kept repeating it like a broken record. I thought it meant nothing until I heard the soldiers from Sorien say it" Erza stated coolly.

"*whistle* Well guess I am famous after all. Thank you! Still ….. I can't shake the feeling I've seen you before toots"

"I'm sure I would remember a creep like you"

"Oh yeah! You tell him my honey" added Ichiya.

"Wew! Haven't even seen me and you already toss the insult! So Fiesty! I like, I like, I like!"

"Tch! Come out and face us coward! Answer for the suffering you caused to these innocent people!" she quickly drew her sword and challenged the voice.

"Psst, Erza be careful. He beat up Mira after all" Lucy's reminder did not deter the scarlet warrior however.

"Yeah … you see…. I would but I'm not feeling it yet. So while I get all pumped I'll leave you to my boys for the meantime"

"Boys?" said Erza.

"Yup! Ladies and gentlemen, they're stylish, they're hot, and just an absolute blast! Sure to blow you away I present *Drumroll please* the Quadynamites!"

*Cricket noises*

"Um..boss… I thought we were the C-4?"

"Just… just get in there, alright?!"

"But Quadynamites? Really mate?"

"Look I didn't come up with that! It was the nerds and their weird naming rituals !"

"Ya but zey can be…"

"Look just jump in and introduce yourselves already!"

"Alright, alright boss. Calm down. Don't blow your hairs. That gets messy"

Almost immediately after Erza dodged out of instinct. What flew past her was a ball of….. something…. covered in something slimy. It missed the others but when it landed it exploded with great force.

There was no time for rest as more came their way in an almost unending rain.

The few who decided to stubbornly stand their ground were forced back by a huge shockwave that they never saw coming. It didn't end there though for it was immediately followed by multiple air pockets forming around them before shortly all exploding. Their ears and bodies still ringing one slime fire ball thing (I don't know what to call them yet) was timed perfectly and headed right for them not without one last push from a whip that struck then wrapped around it before both crashed into the mages creating the largest explosion yet.

But you and I know at this point Fairy Tail is like a cockroach, persistent and never easy.

The smoke and fire from the blast was eaten up by Natsu, revealing a scratched but still standing Fairy Tail…. At least the ones who decided to stand their ground.

"Pffftt, is that it?" said a smoking Gajeel ( no not that kind of smoking )

"Nice firework show guys and thanks for the snack" Natsu had to admit, whoever these guys were their fire tasted really good. Better than even Mira's cooking!

"I was expecting a lot more to be honest" replied Erza as she dusted herself off in her Flame Empress Armor.

"Now THAT is what I call a manly warmup!" shouted a shirtless Elfman.

"Not to be a soursport or anything but did any of that seem …. familiar somehow?" Gray had just lost his shirt (or was he wearing it on the way in? I have no idea) but he could've swore that he had seen those attacks before.

"Watcha going on about now Gray?" asked Natsu

"I'm saying didn't we see that barrage of magic somewhere before?"

"Gray they're only invading now. Have you been awake these past few days?"

"Listen to me lizardboy, I know I've seen this before. Somewhere, recently, and you were there"

"If I was there I'm sure I would remember it"

"Oh how like you 'remembered' to pay me back for destroying my kitchen!?"

"I was trying to help! Besides you're food was too cold and you know it! "

"Focus you two!" Pantherlilly made sure that there wasn't going to be a fight when they were already in one.

"Natsu, Gray has a point. Even I'm feeling we've encountered this before" he added.

"I agree with Pantherlilly" said Lucy out of the blue.

Outnumbered three to one and still doubtful about Gray's claims, the Dragonslayer went with the most straightforward method he could think of to find the truth.

"Hey you guys! The ones fighting us! Did we like meet before or something? I know that Yoreem freak but Gray says that we met you. Is that true?"

"IT'S GJORUM DAMMIT!" he shouted in pure frustration.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. I'll beat you up later. So is it true?"

"Um… Lucy-chan. Does Natsu honestly think that they're just going to tell him just like that? " though Levy had high respects for the Dragonslayer even she had to take a step back when Natsu did something so….. she wouldn't say stupid but straightforward? Simple minded? She was sure there was a word in the dictionary that was similar but not as offensive sounding.

"Of course not! It's just Natsu being ….Natsu. Just let him be " Lucy whispered back.

"Nyeah…. Now that you punks mention it ….you do ring a bell. Don't they boys?" said the still unseen enemy.

"They actually did tell him?!" comicly screamed both Lucy and Levy. Sometimes simpleton methids get amazing results.

"I told you lizardboy!" mocked Gray.

"Bleh!" Natsu could only stick out his tounge.

"Too Right mate, Too right. Especially over there " said one of the voices.

"Yah und I'm remembering ze muscular vannabe boy" said another of the voices.

'I feel like he was talking about me' thought an annoyed Gray to himself.

"Black kitty! Black kitty!" said a stupid sounding one.

"Umm Pantherlilly, what are they talking about exactly?" asked Erza

"Croikey, I think I know who they are but I can't be sure this out back"

"Well let's settle this by taking a closer look then. I think it's high time we presented the family properly anyway see?"

Talk gave way to footsteps that the halls of the Cathedral echoed loudly.

"I think they're referring to a mission we did not too long ago when you weren't around" the Exceed replied.

The footsteps were getting louder which meant only one thing: their adversary was coming to them.

"But how does that relate to this?"

Though the footsteps were slow in pace it was not so for the rising tension on the Fioren mages side .

"Well though we did solve the problem we never found the real masterminds"

Four figures started to form in front of them.

"But I have a feline felling that we are about to find out"

Slowly the formless shadows grew and took shape, the malicious mist belching not one, not two, not three but four adversaries all as different as can be but united in their goal to break the Fiorens by any means necessary.

One was short and stout. Almost ball like actually. Though he still stood like a man him using his arms while walking and the large grin on his face along with his closed eyes gave him a rather animalistic feel, all be it that of a dumb looking and aloof one.

Beside him was a man who looked rugged. A large hat on his head, bandages on his hands, his scarf/pancho looking like its seen better days, his pants all shaggy with a colorful triangular pattern that matched his scarf/pancho, and a beard that looks spikey enough to pierce rock. Overall a weird and dirty look.

Our next enemy towered above all the rest. There are men. There are muscles. There are men who are muscular. Then there is this man. From abs packed tighter than sushi to those glorious iron buns his wears did not hide the oozing manliness that this man had. Though he had a clean-shaven face and head, the overkill but classy mustache and eyebrows was all the manly hair he needed to go along with his stoic grimace.

Our last adversary could be mistaken for no other. Definitely he was a mobster. From his glare right down to his spit shine shoes, his black suit tied to his waist with the rose popping out , to the imported crocodile hide suspenders and hat. If he and the cigar doesn't extort the mobster image from your head then he would gladly whack it into your skull until you never forget.

The standoff didn't last long as the rugged one was the first to brake it.

"Why I'll be a jumpin' Joey who hasn't even been born yet I knew I've seen them before!"

"Well , spit it out Boomeran Kid! Who are they?"

"Remember that forward mission we had to go on? The one in the mountains?"

"Yeah what about it? That job was success"

"Well, do you also recall the part in the cave?"

"Ugh…. Don't bring that up. It took weeks to get rid of those disgusting creeps even with the local help"

"And do you remember who chased us in said cave?"

"Just spit it our already see?"

"Okay mate, I'll make it simple: Look at that pink haired one and tell me he doesn't jog the noggin"

The gangster gave him a long hard stink eye before it finally hit him.

"Holy Omerta, you're right! It's has to be him! No man with any dignity would go around with that hideous , fake pink hairjob!"

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK! THIS IS A NATURAL COLOR! " Natsu retorted.

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight and my uncle's third arm is all natural! Oh wait no it's not and it's gross!"

"THIS HAIR IS BEAUTIFUL! IGNEEL SAID SO!"

"I don't care who or what this Ingis guy is see? Pink hair on dudes is UUUUUUUGLY!"

"Grrrrrr! Hey Erza can we beat them up now?!"

"No, not yet. Tell me, before we beat you up would you at least have the dignity of telling us your names?" in truth she too was itching for a fight but she didn't want to give them the pleasure of seeing her irritated.

"Nyeah, Well aren't you a cocky little missy. No wonder the boss likes giving girls like you a good whack" though Erza didn't know what he exactly meant the heavy implication was regrettably enough to give her some slight shivers.

"But I think we've played the cloak and dagger part long enough so let me go first"

"The name is Cruz but the family back home calls me Cruz 'The Loose' Fuze. I'm the Capo of this merry bunch. Boys , introduce yourselves"

"Guess I'm next then eh? Roight, people call me Jacker Kraker. I like nice walks on the beach with the occasional kaboom to get rid of the annoying and lethal pest. You folks wouldn't last a day from where I come from"

"Und I am Bewman Heinhoff. Product of a real man, a womanly woman, un superior fatherland engineering yah!" he flexed like crazy to emphasize his last point.

"Me next! Me next! My name…. um…. name…. um…uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" to jog his memory, he pulled up his unclean underwear from the front until he saw a label with his name on it that read Tee en Tee.

"Uhu, I remember now. My name , Rimbombo! Rimbombo!" he shouted all victorious as he waved his arms even if the two sightings had no connection. Look the guy's an idiot so it's not supposed to make sense.

"Gyengh! It even has stains on it! Why couldn't that freak have a tattoo or something like normal people?" his reaction was shared by everyone in the room ally and enemy alike but Tee didn't have a care in the world as he licked his eyeballs.

…. Hey like I said before I'm just recording what I see.

"Alright we've spilled the beans on who we are now tell us yours see?" said Cruz.

"The Names Natsu Dragneel and I'm all fired up to knock your teeth out!"

"Gray. That's all you need to know"

"Gajeels the name and don't wear it out. Gehee!"

"I am Elfman and I am a real man! Now, which one of you was the one who clobbered my sister?!"

"Uh…Um… I'm Wendy"

"Juvia Lockser at your service monsieur"

"Erza Scarlet"

"Oh I'm Lu-" she and the others never got the chance due to Gjorums rising bloodlust.

"What is this a mixer?! Quit the introductions and get on with the destruction! "

"*sigh* Welp, you folks heard the boss" was all he said as he casually flung his whip towards Erza. Natsu of course was there to intercept the weapon for her by having it wrapped around his arm.

"Really?" it was only for a quick second but the whip flashed a bright red color before exploding the Dragonnslayer.

"Didn't think he would be suckered twice so easily. Boys, kill!" any sense of parley were broken as hell broke out between the two parties.

...

...

...

* * *

The sight before Gjorum was akin to watching a Saturday morning action cartoon. He was like a child again as he watched the "bad guys" fight the "good guys" and rooted for the former.

Though the Fiorens highly outnumbered their adversaries, it became clear rather quickly that their numbers were only barely a match for their opponent's quality.

Rimbombo pinballed his way around the Fiorens, launching himself with deadly velocity and crushing those poor souls that got caught. Occasionally he would stop to completely consume whatever he could get in his mouth and then regurgitate it back out with explosive results only to resume his ricochet of death leaving them to eat his dust.

The sight in front of Jacker resembled a WWI warzone with literally thousands of small air pockets forming and exploding at the same time. The fools that weren't caught in the crossfire were halted by the overwhelming sound alone. They were for all intents and purposes entrenched and losing.

On Bewmans side of things there was only Elfman and Ichiya standing. The regular soldiers were down for the count and the three manly men squared off. Yet even with testosterone pumping in all three of them, neither Elfman's strength not Ichiya's muscle parfum could stand to Bewmans power : flexing his muscles… with the addition of creating powerful, visible shockwaves. They couldn't move from their spot as they were on their knees and barely staying there.

"That body! That… presence! So…..Men!" said Ichiya as he held and sparkled on for dear life.

"He's… He's…. emanating such manliness!" added Elfman who was feeling quite the beta male for the first time in a long time.

While the rest struggled, luckily or unluckly Natsu and Erza was somehow left with Cruz.

Quickly the red duo found out why he was called Fuze. Everything his whip touched would shortly just explode. It was almost like Gildart's crash magic except this one caused the objects to glow a bright red before blowing up launching whatever at high speeds and high temperature (I'm starting to see a theme here with these four).

"Nyeah, I gotta say you two are good at not getting whacked "

"And you're good at running away. What's the matter you scared?" Natsu's taunts couldn't hide his mounting frustration though and Cruz knew it.

"What's the matter you suck?" he retorted.

"I'm so gonna punch your teeth out!"

"Only if you take me alive, which is never!"

"You!"

Natsu's strikes however fell on ghosts and wind. Cruz was reading him like a poor poker face. Though the Dragtonslayers persistence was annoying at best, he was mostly worried about Erza who was between the two the more dangerous. Her strikes were better planned and getting closer.

"You on the other hand toots are quite handy with those swords"

"Is talking all you can do?"

"Does this answer your question?" he got his whip past her guard and around her ankle. Just as he blew it up Erza came flying out of the smoke in her Heaven Wheel Armor.

"Well, well , well looks like you're a circus act all on your own. Now give me a show!" to Erza's surprise Cruz's whip was longer than she thought. She tried launching swords at him but he would quickly snag them with his whip and make them explode turning her own arsenal against her.

"Leave Erza alone you freak!" Natsu charged in hard and fast, thinking he had the element of surprise.

"MNAAAH! Got me… Oh wait, no you didn't!" he skipped back and flicked his wrist, striking the floor and exploding it in front of the Dragonslayer sending him flying back.

Erza came crashing down fast from above now in her Sped queen armor. Surprised Cruz instinctively performed a nice twirl with his whip that caught and exploded all nearby objects around him. Shaken bot not deterred she came at him again and put him on the defensive.

Thinking fast Cruz very quickly snagged the three nearest items and launched it all at once at Erza. Thought it was too slow for her to get caught, what she didn't expect ws for im to lauch a fourt item from her blindside.

The ruse didn't pay off as she then re-equiped into her Adamantite armor taking the force of the explosion at its fullest and just in time.

Cruz was far from finished however as he quickly capitalized on the little gap beneath the shield and tripped her.

Still holding her shield, Cruz then snagged an empty cage and crashed it down on her. Adamantite and cage met with a hard clang before it detonated in a bright ball of fire.

Were he expected ashes he saw an Iron Goddess scratched but unfazed and standing. Cruz was impressed and annoyed.

"Nyeah, guess you're REALLY hard to bump off"

"What's wrong? Running out of tricks? Just so you know, you're not going to beat adamantite"

"Who said I had to beat it?"

Something about that response struck her as….odd. In fact, something about the whole fight struck her as odd. He sounded too confident and a little laid back. Was it just simple cockiness or perhaps something more?

"Ready for round two toots? Let's add some spice to this fight" he rasied his whip high into the air and Erza prepared her defenses but instead of striking her the whip struck cages filled with people. They exploded open and surprisingly left them unharmed displaying his control over his magic. It also left them hanging on to dear life which also showed his deviousness.

"Catch"

"You coward!" she re-equiped into her Heaven Wheel armor and flew to the civilians all the while being bombarded with explosive projectiles.

None of them hit directly but was making her rescue world difficult.

To her fortune however, Natsu had gotten back up and was finally able to tackle Cruz breaking his concentration and his assault.

"Natsu, keep him occupied while I save the rest!"

"Will do Erza!" with his still tight grip on Cruz he unleashed a Fire Dragon's Roasting Bath before he suplexed him into the ground.

Hurt Cruz grabbed his whip, stretched it over Natsu's ahnd, and then detonated it. The concentrated force forced Natsu's grip to slip and propelled Cruz further back. Yet skillfully he used his whip to create miniature explosions to cushion his fall before getting back up.

The two continued to exchange for a while with neither getting the upper hand.

"Nyeah, stubborn as a copper I'll give you that. But your friends can't hold out forever pinky"

"They don't have too. HAPPY!"

"Aye sir!" the blue exceed suddenly appeared behind the Dragonslayer and lifted him high up into the air.

"EVERYBODY GET DOWN"he yelled as he took a deep breath and unleashed a massive Fire Dragons Roar at all four of the Quadynamites.

Good as they are they were none of them wanted to take on that much magical power head on. Natsu had no problem controlling the energy blast as he forced the Quadynamites back.

"GRAY, BLOCK THEM OFF NOW!" commanded Erza.

"Right! ICE MAKE: GREAT WALL!"

Digging deep into his magic reserves, Gray created a sheet of ice as thick as a building and as tall as a mountain and finally separated the Fiorens from the Qaudynamites.

"You think it will hold Ice Princess?" even Natsu couldn't help but be impressed by the massive arctic fortification.

"Of course it will hold Lizard boy! I'm not sure for how long though"

"Wait, what about the rest of the people we were supposed to save? Now they're stuck on the other side!" said Lucy.

"No need to worry Lucy. I was able to get everybody out before" true enough all the remainsing prisoners were behind them safe and sound once again proving why the Erza Scarlet was feared and respected.

"Natsu, blow the doors open! Demi once he does I want you and the others to grab all the injured and the citizens and FALL BACK! We got what we came for!"

It was so. Natsu with a little effort blew the doors to kingdom come allowing toe Fiorens to leave with their prize.

As the Fioens Evacuated the hallowed grounds, the Quadynamites mused on the current situation..

"Croikey, didn't see this comming"

"Zis vall is almost like a glacier back home ya. Look like manly vannabe boy has some macht"

"Cold! Very cold!"

"Tch, talk about almost getting iced. Who knew those kids had that much juice?"

Their musings were interrupted by a slow clap however. A clalp that came from Gjorum before he finally emerged from god's know where and approached them.

"Not half bad boys and I got in all on lacrima! Now that's going to my personal record "

"You think they bought it boss?"

"Like a bunch of suckers"

"Well I hope we did good mate. As they say back home, if a baby Joey doesn't pull punches then so should you "

""Should ve give chase?"

"Easy you psychos you'll get more than your fill. Take a quick breather until things reaaaalllyy kick in. Say what you will but that four eyed freak throws the most boom boom boom-tastic of surprises"

...

...

...

* * *

Fried and the others had made his way to the Cathedral with ease. The city was still deathly empty and from the reports of the men stationed in the center he decided to go help Pantherlilly seeing that there wasn't much else to do.

Surprise, surprise when they got there it was empty.

"So this is the famous Kardia Cathedral that Sheryy keeps rambling on about" commented Lyon.

"Yes it is impressive but it's not what we came here for. Do you see them anywhere?" Fried grew more uncomfortable with every passing second in the city. Perhaps it was the emptiness or that strange humming that only he could hear but he just wanted to accomplish the mission as soon as possible.

"No, not at all. You are certain that they said Kardia Cathedral?"

"This is the only Cathedral in town so there is no mistaking it. Something about all of this feels so off"

"I agree. Even I'm starting to get chills about this whole thing" the pun aside Pantherlilly disappearing with that much men is worrying and he hasn't heard from Erza in a while so he feared the worse.

His worries were interrupted when Yuka and Toby jumped out from the nearby fog with some soldiers.

"Good on you Toby your nose finally led us out of that mist"

"Roof" the canine man replied.

"Alright, report!" the Oriental mage looked back and found that his regiment was severely lacking in numbers.

"What the…. Where's the rest of you?"

"I think they're are still lost in that fog sir"

"You've got to be kidding me…."

"Yuka!" called Lyon.

"Lyon! Good to see you. Listen have you seen Elfman and his friends. He charged ahead of us and we couldn't keep up"

"No, I haven't . In fact we can't even reach Erza on her communications Lacrima"

"Erza too? Did she get lost in a fog as well?"

"What's fog doing in the middle of the city anyway?"

"I don't know but by the looks of it more than half our column is still in there and I'm not sure we could afford to waste any time"

"What's the rush Yuka? This place is a ghost town. There isn't a living soul besides us"

Boom!

As if to prove him wrong a very muffled but still loud sound rang through the air.

"What the?" Fried had no time to think as it came again.

Boom!

"There it is again" said Lyon.

Boom!

"It's getting louder" added Evergreen.

Boom!

"There!" Bickslow pointed to the Cathedral halls and with perfect timing too. Just as another boom could be heard as the doors glowed a bright red.

BOOM!

The sound was a lot louder now and from the flash it indicated that it was getting closer. There was no time for words was they all prepared themselves for whatever horror was about to face them.

The hallowed halls of the Cathedral belched out not a horror but a friendly sight as Natsu blew open it's gothic doors.

"SHEEZ! Where there that many doors when we came in?!"

"I don't know and I don't care! All that matters is that we're finally out" said one of the civilians before he and the rest of his ilk poured out like a flood.

"Natsu? Pantherlilly? Everybody? How did-" Fried like the others were confused as to how that many people could fit in the Cathedral at once.

"No time to explain. Fried have you encountered any hostiles?" said Erza in a hurry.

"No, not one but-"

"Good. Listen Fried we have to escort all these people out now and fast. I'm not so sure Gray's wall could hold them back for long"

Seeing that he was not going to get answers, he complied with her request.

"Alright everyone we're evacuating the city! Pick any of those three exit points, follow the military, and don't look back!" commanded Erza to the sea of people.

Even in their panic they were still able to follow basic instructions as the great tide split into four and followed said leaders out of the city.

"Yuka, what happened to the rest of your detachment?" she asked,

"They're still lost in that fog"

"Go in and get them. Then meet us outside the city limits"

"Oh come on we just got out of that thing. *sigh* Toby, you know what to do"

"Okey dokey!"

"Stay close and keep tight everyone! We're going back in!" were his last words before he and his detachment went back for their comrades.

"Erza, did you find the enemy?" Fried asked.

"Yes and we bought time. Still everything about this seems….. too easy"

"Well whatever it is, let's just get these people safe" was all he said before making his way in front of the mass and leading them to safety.

Elfman lead the other mass and met up with the others while Erza lead the last mass the way they came in.

In the middle of their exodus, Erza could feel that she was being watched. Her senses rarely betrayed her as it has saved her on multiple occasions yet with the horde of people counting on her she decided to ignore it for the time being.

Her suspicion was fed even more when in the middle of their journey a good distance away from the Cathedral her hawk like eyes caught something strange in the middle of the road: a lone door sized lacrima crystal.

She signaled for the horde to stop. Something was definitely wrong.

"Yo Erza why are we stopping?" asked Natsu.

"That" she responded as she pointed to the lacrima.

As if by coincidence or design, the other groups found themselves in the same situation. The moment they all did, the crystals instantly flashed temporarily blinding the Fiorens.

When their vision returned to them, they were met by a full image of Exyle himself all in his enigmatic glory.

"Defenders of Fiore. You show bravery and courage for marching into our domain to save your own. An honorable deed and something I would do myself but by my duty as the Right Hand of the emperor and the leader of Black Hand I must stand against such intentions. However, even in a field drowned by war parley still has its value. I do not intend to keep you for long and as such I simply propose this: Stay where you are now and live or leave and face your destiny"

Elfman was the first to answer by simply punching the lacrima into a million pieces.

"Real men do no fear and never surrender!"

Fried was just as quick in destroying the lacrima with his blade feeling that it had wasted time but not before giving a just as quick reply.

"Time giving that speech is time wasted on stopping us. You gambled poorly my foe"

Erza's side was the more civil however as she held an eager Natsu back from blowing the crystal to give her own reply.

"I don't know who you are stranger or why you bring war to our home but I must make myself clear: Fairy Tail has and never surrendered to anyone who stood against us. Where there is the weak and innocent we shall be there fighting on their behalf so that they may live in peace. You threaten us with destiny? Well Destiny is what we make of it and our destiny your defeat " her short and sweet response was met with cheers from everyone around her spreading the spirit of defiance and hope.

"You tell him Erza!" said Natsu.

"Who is he to tell Fairy Tail what to do anyway?!" added Gray.

"Like I'm giving up my home that easily!" replied Demi.

The jovial atmosphere was immediately shut down by Exyle however as his simple and authoritative response boomed out loudly for all to hear.

"Very well" was all he said before he disappeared.

She was uncertain if the others sensed it, but in that cool, calm, and somewhat malicious answer she sensed a bit of pleasure and sadism.

Even if she wasn't sure why, she still felt a chill ride down her spine.

...

...

...

* * *

Exye's last words were still in Erza's mind. He sounded too calm.

"Natsu, who was that? The man in the crystal"

"Hm? Oh that's the Exyle guy I told you about. You know the one who beat us?"

"So he's Exyle Night. Interesting"

"And creepy too. I mean who wears a mask like that and that cape is sooo boring"

"I think you forgot Mystogan existed for a second there"

"Nah Mystogan was cool. This guy is just weird"

"And just like Mystogan he beat you"

Playful banter aside she had a point.

"Whatever let's just get out"

Slightly embarrassed, he decided to walk ahead to hide his blush.

Then from out of nowhere there was a noise.

A very loud sound.

And it repeated.

Clang….. Clang…..Clang

"Hey Erza, is it me or was your armor always so loud when you were walking?"

"That's…. not me Natsu"

Clang…..Clang….Clang

"What? Then is that the soldiers?"

"We haven't moved yet Natsu….."

Clang…..Clang….Clang….

He could tell in her voice that she was telling the truth. Not only that, she was serious.

Natsu ignited his fist.

Clang…Clang…Clang

The sound was getting louder.

Everybody who had a weapon readied themselves.

Clang….Clang….Clang

The noise had a distinct metal sound to it.

It was very loud now, drowning the air around it.

Clang….Clang….Clang

IT was heard not just by Erza but by everyone else..

"What is it Elfman?" asked a shaking Lucy.

Clang….Clang….Clang

"Pantherlilly…." called out Fried

"This doesn't sound good at all…"

Clang….Clang…Clang

"Juvia is scared!"

"Don't worry Juvia, I'm here" comforted Lyon.

Clang….Clang…Clang

Demi was shaking and so were the rest of the soldiers.

Just what exactly have they gotten themselves into?

Clang….Clang….Clang

In the Guild Hall, Exyle was watching everything fall into place as he thought to himself.

'The Warmasters of the Imperium are an interesting bunch. From the Bleeding Sands to the Heaven Maid Peaks and even the Khalka Plains they bring an invaluable wealth to the art of war and I have learned much from them indeed'

Clang….Clang….Clang

'Though each a great artist in his own right, the greatest of these all agree: the art of war does not begin when the first spell is cast or when blades clash but in the mind of your enemy'

'To wield a blade or cast a spell takes true skill and to that I have no qualms about. But to assault the mind, to tear down mental walls, to break them before you engage them. That is a mark of true combat mastery and on that I have no qualm as well'

Clang….Clang….Clang

'Intimidation. Surprise. Fear. These I have l learned from all the Warmasters to always bring by my side'

'Granted marital and magical prowess is at the very least just as important and something you should always bring to your side. War may be an art but at times an unpredictable one. Failure to respect such unpredictability is a fool's errand'

Clang….Clang….Clang

'Through silence and deception the first attack, intimidation, has succeeded. Their eyes do not lie' he then bring out his personal lacrima crystal.

"And now for the next attack, surprise" he then shocks the crystal as if activating something.

Back to our heroes…..

"Did you hear that…it stopped" Natsu and all of them were sweating heavily. The tension in the air was heavier than Canna's drinking cups.

Their hearts were in their throats, beating louder and louder as everything grew quiet. It was all they could hear.

Then Natsu noticed a shadow coming from above. It was small but it grew very quickly and so common sense told him to dodge.

He barely got out of the way just as something- scratch that three somethings crashed down in front of all the columns.

As the dust settled, it revealed a monstrous thing.

What could almost be described as a horror movie monster, it was half a spider and half a man or more like three men back to back in a triangle.

Though its torso was human shaped, it was slender and more skeletal.

The armor it wore gave it a somewhat sharp and almost buglike appearance.

Moreso the helmet with black, soulless, slits where the eyes should be and a very sharp jawline.

With a sharp blade on each hand and a figure at least twice as high, it was a towering nightmare.

It did nothing but silently leer at our heroes from head to toe.

"Oh no, not THESE things again" her annoyance caught the things attention and it just focused on her.

After what seemed like an eternity, it finally opened its mouth splitting it into three; a ghastly breath escaping its soulless interior.

The voice that spoke was just as ghastly with a midnight blue flamed mouth.

"No more talk. **WE BRING WAAAAAARRR**! "

True enough, the words Exyle spoke through the Dragoons did bring war.

The sky above them blackened, finally revealing the first secret: the Ebony Guillotine. Exyle's personal magical warship and one of the fortresses that Lucy saw hovering above them.

"I told you I heard a humming noise!" Pantherlilly felt vindicated but immediately despaired at the sudden realization.

Onboard the warship were warriors at the ready, executing their lords command from then Dragoons.

"This is the Ebony Guillotine depowering invisibility runes. All magical systems functioning at full power. Now deactivating Grand Illusion runes throughout the city in five…four…three…two…one…Deactivating" said the female mage on the ship.

A purple light as beautiful as the aurora borealis emerged from the ground and reached for the heavens as it surrounded the city. Runes that went unnoticed as our mages marched into the city glowed brightly before slowly fading away revealing the second secret: the town.

The truth was revealed. Indeed the town was not rebuilt but had remained destroyed. Houses showed collapse, walls revealed holes, furniture became junk, and design became chaos.

But as the second layer of deception was peeled away so too was one final layer, the layer that answered the inquiry of the missing enemy.

They were in the buildings the entire time.

Watching.

Planning.

Waiting.

The poor souls lost in the fog was a result of someone simply getting to close for comfort but not only did the mist hide their presence but also the evidence for disposing of the interlopers. The rest in the city just hid.

"All warriors….. hunt and destroy" commanded Exyle to which they all replied.

"Viribus victoriam!"

"IT'S A TRAP!" Pantherlilly shouted to the top of his lungs.

From every crevice, every roof, every alley, every window, and even from the Ebony Guillotine magical warriors descended upon the Fiorens like a tsunami. Some buildings that weren't buildings but in fact Dragoons and Centrions came charging it and through the army.

Their numbers, once their advantage, now turned against them and served as nothing more than a kill count within the narrow catacombs that were Magnolia's streets.

Too compressed to effectively react, the enemy had no problem launching the horde into disarray and retrieving their goal: the civilians. After all, an empire needs a workforce.

With all of it happening to quickly, Erza needed to clear her head by putting it in the skies.

"Natsu, take care of things here"

"I got it Erza"

"Oh and a tip for that spider thing: fight smart Natsu, I mean it. You're not going beat it head on" she changed into her Heaven Wheel armor and took to the skies leaving the dragon to wreak havoc on earth.

"Pfft. I beat that other one head on. How hard could this one be?" taking her warning as a challenge, he ignited his fist and prepared to face the Dragoon alone.

"Alright whatever you are, I'm all fired up!"

From the heavens our scarlet goddess looked down to earth and saw only despair.

Not only was Magnolia in ruins but her comrades were being ruined as well. She thought of launching swords from above but then realized the risk of friendly fire.

Perhaps her speed queen armor? No it would be pintless.

The only tactical option would be to strike the source: the Ebony Guillotine. Perhaps if she took it own?

She made her choice. She would rule the skies and the malignant vessel would not stand in her way. She summoned as many swords as she could and charged straight for the vessel.

"My lord, the arcane observers have spotted an airborne mage coming for the Ebony Guillotine. It's the redheaded one and she's armed" said one of the mage crewmember onboard.

"Redheaded one….. Is she escorted?" Exyle was watching the plan unfold, but he was a little surprised to find that someone could actually pose a threat to the magical warship.

"No my lord she's alone but she's carrying a lot of weapons "

"How?"

"I think she's using telekinesis magic"

"Could it be ?" any thought he had was immediately interrupted by the

"My lord! She's launching her weapons at us and the sentry's can't hit her! By the god's she's so fast! "

'Does she honestly believe she could take on a fully armed magical warship alone?' it's crazy and downright suicidal, exactly something Gjorum or even he would do should he have to.

"My lord, what do we do?"

"Deploy the SHARDS. I repeat, deploy the SHARDS"

"I shall obey!" as the mage configured the runes on the ship, some spikes from the ship broke of and gained a magical ring that gave them flight. At high speed they flew at Erza, most trying to impale her while some shot lightning bolts at her.

"My lord….. she…. She's fighting off the shards" the voice at the other end was at total disbelief.

"She's lucky our Air Division is split over Minstrel and Caelum right now but do not worry ensign I know it's more than enough" his reply reassured the mage though it was incomplete.

'At least until I can think of something better'

Her duel in the sky was in a deadlock but with every ear-piercing shard that passed her she was losing magical power that could've gone to the ground battle.

She took a quick peek at the ground battle and it was getting worse, but the distraction was more then enough for one SHARD to get close and nick at her face.

She returned to her defensive with the advantage slowly going to the SHARDS.

Just as her mins wondered about her next move, she hear a tremendous explosion coming from the cathedral. Gjorum and the Quadynamites had gotten through the ice.

"Well would ya look at that? The party just got started!" he was immeidatly excited and from what he could tell there was already plenty of enemy casualtis.

"Well? Don't just stand here get going and have fun!"

"You got it boss! Come on boys" the group split and headed into combat leaving Gjorum alone.

"Well looks like little miss redhead is fast and can fly too. Now that's hot!" he looked at Erza as she defended herself and decided to split her attention even more. He created a fireball and lauched it at her. She of course dodged it but it caught her attention.

"Let's see how fast you really are…"

He casually strolled to the fog and Erza with her hawk like vision saw this. She also saw him close his fingers together before quickly realizing what he was about to do.

"Oh no….Don't tell me that's-" before she could finish a spark flew from his fingers igniting the mist and all that it covered.

Apparently Yuka saw the flame approaching and casted his largets anti-magical barrier he could though Erza had a feeling that it would not hold.

She conceded the sky to the SHARDS and used all the magic she could to get to the fog. Still in flight she changed to her Speed Queen Armor and went into the fog , quickly grabbing him and any friendly behind him.

It was done with such great speed that Yuka and the others were piled up like dirt at the end of the fog, not knowing what had just happened and just as the fire was about to consume them Erza fell from the sky in her Adamantite armor and shielded her comrades from the blast.

"*whistle* I guess really fast" said Gjorum from his end as he looked at the charred buildings and bodies at his feet.

"Yuka, are you alright?"

"Yes. Thanks you Erza"

"Where are the others?" though she had a bad feeling that she already knew the answer.

"Where do you think" was all he could say as he and she looked at the charred path.

"That monster…" she bit her lip as hard as she could at her failure but no tears would fall so easily for she was strong.

"Yuka, forget about everything else and evacuate the city. Get these men to Mirajane and the others" she said solemnly.

He nodded his head and went on with his men.

Erza returned to the sky seeking to exact vengeance for the fallen and was greeted to a relieving sight: the Fiorens were slowly pushing forward. She decided to mourn later and help those still alive.

She went for the nearest blob she could, deciding to conserve her energy she joined Fried in battle.

"Erza, there you are! What was that noise? "

"An explosion. Gjorum ignited the mist….."

"MY lord…. then that means…"

"Don't worry, I got some of them out and their on their way to Mira and Lissana for treatment"

"You said some… "

"I know…"

"*sigh* Well you did the best you could, that's all that matters "

"I suppose…. You need help?"

"Yes, we've just reclaimed the center and now all we -" before he could continue, the ground beneath them all began to shake with a vengeance.

Erza then finally realized that Magnolia was no longer their home but now their greatest enemy all by Exyle's design.

...

...

...

* * *

 **Thus concludes another part of this epic tale. To those who came you have my eternal thanks. I shall try to bring the next part on the usual date but alas I reserve no hope for myself so it may not be.**

 **Feel free to comment, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit.  
**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	14. Chapter 14 - Night Takes Queen,Checkmate

**Greetings again my fellow audience who may or may no longer be there. Again i must apologize for not finishing this within the week after my last post and for yet again missing the Sunday upload. This chapter had exceeded the 5000 word mark and as such required more refinement. This is the second half of the previous chapter and the conclusion of the Battle for Magnolia. I do hope you find this entertaining and will try to upload on a more swifter basis. hopefully I can with your support.  
**

 **But I have kept you long enough. L** **eave the troubles and toils of your world for just a moment as I present to you the next act of Fairy Tail : The Imperium Encounter.**

 **Oh and please do leave a review. Any review. Hopefully it would be of use to us both ^_^**

* * *

In the olden days, a dragon was an amazing sight. Up in the heavens at high noon or clearest midnight, its wings would fly over the lands of men covering all in its shadow.

From its position of power a dragon would taste the rarities of life: the gold that glimmered and caught its eye, the men so sumptuous and/or plump if the more noble kind, the lamentations of villages fallen by might, and the steel of fools who come to fight.

Not all rarities bring such delight however, for even a mighty beast like a dragon still ills of mortality and the taste of blood and defeat was a bitter rarity indeed.

That's where Natsu was as he tasted what he thought was blood on his lips. Igneel always said that a Dragon only tastes his own blood when he has retreated from the fight. No doubt his way of saying to always consider your options in a fight.

To Natsu it was clear what his option was: fight , no matter what.

Despite his bruises he stood his ground, proud and strong, against the Dragoon who eerily laughed at his failed efforts to destroy it.

"*spit*Fight smart she says. I'm doing fine! " he ignited his fist and charged straight ahead to his enemy, exchanging blows with the blade strikes until both his hands were caught and one of the Dragoons other sides twisted over and back fisted him into a building.

"*cough* Okay, maybe she does have a point" he dusted himself off and ran for the metal monstrosity again this time jumping up in the air and slamming the ground releasing a wave of flame the forced the Dragoon back.

He finally gained some ground against the creature but that ground literally began to shake violently beneath him.

"What the? Did I do this?"

No Natsu you aren't THAT strong but it's more of the town turning against you.

Friend and foe alike were on their knees as Magnolia quaked and split before them.

Buildings rose and fell, the streets opened themselves to the sky, what once was here was now over there.

Most didn't know what was going on but any Magnolian and Fairy Tail member knew : it was the Gildarts shift. The saying goes that one should adapt to their environment, but only in Fairy Tail does the environment adapt to you…. or Russia give or take.

To Natsu it meant one thing and one thing only: Gildarts had come to the rescue.

"You're in trouble know you scrap heap. That means Gildarts is coming to the rescue!" now filled with determination he vigorously attacked his enemy even if the ground continued to shake.

Even to the many others who fought and knew what the trembling earth meant, they too were filled with such determination with some even cheering that they were saved.

Alas the world, though cold, is also cruel and if it lived would tell of others how it enjoyed crushing such mortal hope.

While most rejoiced and were reinvigorated, the few who knew how the Gildarts shift actually worked were troubled.

"Erza, do you think?" Fried was one of these few (since he and a few others took the time to listen to Makarov's weekend lectures regarding the Guild Hall) and he sought the council of the other comrade who knew.

"No, this…. this is wrong. The shaking is much more violent and the warning sirens should be flying over head by now even if the city was damaged like this. Besides the shift can only be activated from the Magic Council Hall or…." she looked back at the guild hall with a little terror in her eyes.

"Oh no…..Don't tell me…" she and Fried would find out soon enough.

The streets parted like the Red Sea, unveiling the paths that Fairy Tail's strongest mage walked in order to reach home without destroying the city by accident.

The city divided like blocks in the hand of a child, parting not only itself as a whole but our heroes from each other.

When it was all said and done, Magonlia was rearranged into an arena of death. Fioren and invader alike were all divided but only one was meant to be conquered.

The road that heralded the coming of a hero were for the first time not met by any. In the place of their champion striding along instead stood another trap.

Far down below was yet again mist. Though not the same color as the mist in the city it served the same purpose of hiding an eerie secret, the only hint being a few flashes as if a thunderstorm seen from above.

"Alright men, just like the commander said! Avoid the civilians and push everything else off!" shouted one of the invaders.

Almost immediately a switch flipped in all the invaders and the flow of combat focused on herding the Fiorens near the edges.

The Fiorens still outnumbered their foes but yet again that played into the invaders favor as their mass proved easy to control.

The Royal Army and the mages fought their hardest from being pushed off until one poor sod finally fell off the edge. From then on it was a tidal wave of bodies falling left and right. Slowly but surely the Fiorens were losing ground by falling into it

Determination slowly became desperation as the Fiorens concentrated their efforts to escaping death's edge though such would prove difficult especially with both the frenzied Dragoons and the enraged Centrions in the fray.

"Fried, you take care of things here. I have to help the others" said Erza as she drove her Purgatory sword into the heart of a Centrion.

"Go. You can trust me and Lyon to handle things here" with a nod she returned to her Heaven Wheel armor and with it to the skies.

Yet the SHARDS were ever so the deadly vultures, circling and waiting for the Scarlet queen to return and give them the chance to make her their next carrion.

Though she was eager to contest the sky from the SHARDS and prove her superiority her priority was with her fellow comrades in the ground. As such she kept her engagement to a minimum until finally she found Deni fighting off a few of the invaders single handedly.

"Looks like you need some help" she came in her Black Wing armor and blocked a blow about to strike at Deni.

"Erza, I'm glad you're alive. I was worried they got you"

"You don't become an S-class mage by being a pushover "

"I've always wondered what you mages have to go through to be S-class"

"I can't speak for all, but I can tell you once we beat these guys"

"Heh, I bet I can get more of them than you can"

"You're on"

And so they fought, back to back. Their defense and their attack were in perfect sync as if practiced over thousands of hours. In a way it was almost like they were close sisters who knew what the other was thinking. Each complimented each other and both were excellent swordsmen.

Before they knew it the last invader was defeated and disappeared in a flash of blue light just as Deni's blade landed a critical blow.

"It's really annoying when they do that!" she shouted in frustration

"I think it's some kind of safety magic or if not then a self-destruct spell. Either way, it's ingenious and makes it harder for us to study our opponent "

"Wow Erza, you sure do figure out stuff pretty quickly"

"Whatever the case, we have more important matters. What's the overall situation Deni?" though Erza did enjoy playful banter there was still a war to fight.

"Yes *ahem* The city is a complete maze, everyone from here to kingdom come is separated, morale is deeper than the hellhole we walked into, and from what I was able to gather before our communications lacrima guy went down they're pushing people en masse off the edge. Is that last part true?"

"Unfortunately and it gets worse. Thanks to Gjorums explosive gas the city is starting to burn down"

"Oh come on! At this rate we would be lucky to walk out of here in one piece that isn't medium rare!"

"Deni, what do we need to do?"

"We… um… we need to coordinate our attack and contact the other regiment commander"

"Where was he deployed?"

"He… went with Yuka and Elfman…. To secure the western part of the….. wait….the explosion came from the…. Don't tell me they're all.."

"I was able to save some of them including Yuka and Toby but…." that small pause was enough to cause her heart to sink.

"Deni, I didn't see him in the group I saved. You're the highest ranking officer "

"By the gods, it's all falling apart…." the weight of the entire situation all came at once to her and she buckled on her knees.

A million things ran through her mind. Fear, powerlessness, panic, stress, stress, and more stress with a sprinkle of stress. She was so overwhelmed by everything that it left her paralyzed and mumbling.

But someone was there to pull her out of her spiraling depression, an angelic hand reached through the dark whirlpool and guided her back to sunlight and it was none other than Erza Scarlet.

"Deni! I know its rough and things aren't going well but never lose hope!" she than held both of her hands and looked her straight in the eye.

"I know you can do it Deni. No, I know we can do it! Together with our friends at our side and our comrades at our backs we can win and take back our home!"

Her spirits were lit from a candle into a furnace thanks to those words. She was right, this fight was far from over.

For her friends

For her family

For her love

For her comrades

She had to fight!

Not for her but for all of Fiore!

"You're right Erza. I'll never give up! Four our home and our family!"

"That's much better. Now, what do we do Division Commander Deni?"

"Okay, first we-" were the last words Erza heard before a chain quickly wrapped around Deni and pulled her away. Apparently Gjorum snuck on a nearby roof while they were having their pep talk and waited for Erza to let go before reeling in his prize.

"Wohoo! Looks like I caught one! Say, you're not half bad"

She said nothing but instead struggled with a fury to free herself. Yet as any person who fishes knows, you don't have a catch until they stop struggling.

"This should fix ya!"with a strong head-butt she was out cold and at his total mercy.

"No you don't!" Erza in her ever gallant nature would not allow her comrade to be taken so easily and charged him at full force only to be denied by three Centrions.

"Sorry toots but I'll have to settle for this one for now. You can play with my toys though, just be careful not to break them! Gehehehe! "

He jumped away leaving our scarlet knight to face the hellish monsters alone.

...

...

...

* * *

The Centrion. It had seen many a field of battle and has trampled (sometimes literally) on many a foe. The design of Gjorums deranged mind it embodied the cavalry force that he wanted. Power, strength, devastation, and downright fun.

A demonic entity charging down any enemy and inhabited by what some think are actual demons, it would crush and burn and sometimes both anything it was pointed at with little care for "precision". It was by all means a hammer that smashed enemy resolve into millions of pieces.

Yet every hammer is fated to meet that one stubborn nail and Erza was a very stubborn nail unyielding to a force of three – no scratch that she just ripped one Centrion in half - two Centrions in her Giant Armor.

'All that work and there's still two more!' for someone who appreciated structural integrity this was the first time hated something being so well made.

'I could probably defeat these other two, but it would take too long and I still have to save Deni' their synchronous attacks weren't helping her find the answer and she needed some space.

The sky was full of those annoying SHARDS but if she stayed here she would have to deal with possibly even more Centrions. It was quite the conundrum.

Not as big a conundrum as two flaming wrecking balls missing her face by a hair but hey when your Erza Scarlet all your bones could break but you could still stop a meteor thanks to the power of friendship!...Okay maybe that's pushing it even for Fairy Tail but the flaming balls are still a problem.

It was only a matter of time before one Centrion got a lucky blow so she had to think and their endless attacks didn't allow for that.

Out of frustration she just threw her De-Malevo-Lance at one of the Centrions chests, piercing through the thick as hell chest all the way to the back but not outright killing it.

It charged at her as if it was furious but ended up missing and slamming into the other Centrion head on.

As the two weapons of destruction tried to get their focus back, the sight of both of them and the De-Malevo-Lance stuck in one of the Centrions gave Erza an idea. More exactly a technique she used to pacify Gray and Natsu a long time ago.

She jumped behind the Centrion who had the De-Malevo-Lance stuck in it and tried to pull it out. The monstrosity, sensing the mage behind him, bucked like a wild bull and brought down some nearby houses just from its tremors.

With one massive pull she finally recovered the deeply embedded shaft and put some distance between her and the Centrions.

Even with a massive hole in its chest, the Centrion still charged at her like a madman. Playing into the scene she let down her De-Malevo-Lance and transformed into her Matador Armor (Yes you saw that correctly Matador Armor. If she has a dedicated armor set for running then by Igneels sixth toe I wouldn't be surprised if she had Matador Armor ESPECIALLY if it's "suited" to her) and gracefully dodged the rampaging beasts charge.

"Olé!"

As the Centrion crashed into a house another one came up right behind her but she was not caught off guard and simply dodged with even more style.

In fact, the longer it went the more fabulous it became.

* _ **In a part of the city**_ *

Ichiya had befallen another group of invaders with his K.O parfum when immediately he froze like a statue. This opened him up to be attacked by an invader with a Warhammer but fortunately the Trimen had his back.

" , are you alright?" asked Hibiki.

"Why are you just standing there Ichiya-sama? Is something wrong" asked Ren.

"No, but I sense something "

"What do you sense master?" asked Eve.

"I sense something…. stylish…. glamorous….classy. Whatever it is, it has my fabulous senses tingling to the max and I think it's somewhere in this city "

"But , this city is a wreck! How can something so beautiful be her in such destruction?" asked Hibiki.

"My dear Hibiki, if love can bloom from bloodshed then surely so can beauty from war and if my senses are correct it has something to do with my honey Erza"

"Truly your love stretches across all Ichiya!" complimented Hibiki.

"Such a bond is rare and something I too hope to have someday!" proclaimed Ren.

"Ah Ichiya, there is no doubt that you are the wisest of us all!" exemplified Eve.

"Nobody is like you Ichiya!" they all proclaimed.

"Now ,now boys it's not all me. After all, we're all in this together as one beautiful team are we not? MEN!"

* _ **Leaving the fabulous, sparkly bunch and returning to our Erza**_ *

"Olé!"

"Olé!"

"Olé!"

"Olé!"

With every pass her fabulousness and style increased to goddess levels sparkling brighter than the sunlight. The Centrions were her fools and she was their fabulous superior. Their strength fell to her grace as they were humiliated time and time again.

A sight for the ages (and one Ichiya and Master Bob would kill to see) but it had a purpose. With every failed charge the Centrions grew more and more focused on her and her alone.

When she was finally confident that she had their full and utmost attention, she taunted both of them one last time for the grand finale. The two hulking monsters gave it everything they got and charged at her full speed.

With one flare of her Muleta she was gone and the Centrions slammed into each other head on and in full force. This was enough to daze them both and gave Erza enough time to pull out her De-Malevo-Lance and impale both Centrions through the chest. As a finishing blow, she re-equipped just her Purgatory Sword and sliced both of their heads off.

"There. That should finish them" but a quick stomping by the enraged Centrions immediately contradicted her.

"They could still fight even without their heads?!... Well it won't matter, I've bought myself enough time" changing into her Black Wing armor she flew off and left the two monstrosities to aimlessly wander on their own.

Up above the Queen of Fairies looked down unto the field and despaired. The land which she had walked and flown over many times were now foreign to her, the fires seemed to have grown larger for some reason, people were still being thrown down the ledges by the dozen with some of the SHARDS even helping, and there were no clear paths out of the city or to victory.

She took a deep breath . Now with no flaming balls of death after her she could clearly think.

Her first course of action: clear a path. One thing she learned from her S-class missions is to always have a path of escape. Jewels weren't worth your life.

She re-equiped into her Lightning Empress armor and from the heavens above blasted away at buildings, paving a path of escape for her comrades.

Such power did not go unnoticed however and most of the SHARDS were once again at her doorstep. Though this time she was able to get a few thanks to her lightning, they were still fast and Erza couldn't afford to miss any of them.

While she fought for dominance of the skies, Exyle watched from the comfort of the Guild Hall. He had been watching the battle progress mostly as planned but then focused on Erza's fight with the Centrions and how she 'matadored' them.

"I'm not even mad she escaped from three Centrions, the way she did it is amazing. Good thing I got that on lacrima"

He continued to watch her battle the SHARDS.

"She is quite the versatile fighter and clever too. I am rather curious if she is the one leading this whole foray. And her armor set is…. VERY intriguing"

Breaking his fascination of her, he resumed his watch over the entire battlefield.

"A few missteps here and there but so far all according to plan"

"I'm not that all impressed by the Royal Army but their mage counterparts on the other hand have proven the complete opposite. So much variety and just plain weirdness. Oh how I love magic! "

He then heard a loud noise and saw in his map that despite fighting off multiple SHARDS, Erza was still able to clear a path through the city.

"*sigh* I guess we've played with our food long enough. It's time for the kill"

He left his table and for the first time in the battle stepped foot on the battlefield. He laid witness to the destruction he had caused albeit indirectly.

Fiorens and invaders clashed from city block to city block as he watched from the best vantage point in the city.

Hearing the shouts of valor and the clash of steel.

Smelling the smelly smell of blood, sweat, tears, and ash.

Tasting the ever so sweet air of victory.

"Oh, Gjorum. Retreating already?"

"Yup. I've had my fill and check this out. I got their Regiment commander as a prize! Isn't that sweet?!"

"Well done Gjorum. Honestly, good job I didn't even know where their regiment commander was"

"Well too bad for you. Me and the boys are gonna have some fun with her and some of the civie's we've captured"

"Please Gjorum, just don't be too rough on her. Extracting information from her mind will be a lot harder if you break it to fast"

"Kek! Don't worry you for eyed freak, I'll make sure to leave plenty of her left for you and your interrogation. You can't enjoy your toys to the max if you break them after all!" was all he said as he retreated into the guild.

'I guess he's right'

Just one more ingredient was needed to make this the perfect meal of the day. He looked up to Erza and she with perfect timing looked at him. Even if they were rather far from each other they could clearly see each others eyes . He stopped the SHARDS from attacking so that they could leer at each other before finally executing the coup de grace.

"Checkmate, Fairy Tail"

He gently stretched out his palm and after taking a deep breath exhaled into the mist.

His breath blew away the mist below.

It traveled through all the corners.

The mist quickly retreated like civilians running from the Mongol horde and left through the end of the city where Mirajane and the others were.

His breath though gentle was loud enough for everyone in the battlefield to hear.

Erza looked down slowly, seeing first only hint but then a row of scarlet red.

She didn't want to.

She had to.

As slow as she could make it, her eyes inevitably came across a sight she had never seen before.

A sight that not even her worst nightmares could fathom.

The color almost jumped out of her skin.

Her gut wrenched in every way possible.

Her stomach almost left with her lunch.

A chill traveled down her entire body.

Her mind refused to believe what the eyes were telling it.

The longer she looked, the more she questioned if reality itself could be so mad, so cruel, so insane.

Her speech….. she had no speech. There were no mortal words that she could think of to describe it.

One soldier saw Erza just staring at the floor and out of curiosity he looked.

Then looked another.

Then another

Then another.

The another.

It was like a yawn that spread from person to person.

Strangely enough once the invaders noticed the Fiorens looking down they stopped attacking as if they knew what they were looking at and let it sink it.

The few that still kept attacking were forced or directed to look and Natsu who had been fighting the same Dragoon nonstop was finally pinned down at the edge.

The dragoon pointed to the ground below.

Natsu, not as tunnel vision as he mostly is, was confused as to why the creature suddenly stopped and pointed to the ground. He decided to take a quick look while also preparing a sneaky punch just in case it tried something.

His mind went blank for a second, unable to process what exactly he saw before finally he and the rest of the Fiornens came to the same realization.

For meters on end the path below that was to herald their hero was now filled with crystal spikes of varying sizes but none taller than a man.

The crystalline structures came in two colors.

At their base they were somewhat white clear seethrough-ish. Almost like a beautiful mix of ice and diamond.

The second color however…

Well, let's just say it finally made sense as to why the invaders were so adamant in throwing as many of them as possible into the mist.

After all, it only painted the crystals below a bright crimson red.

So many had fallen in that the sheer numbers of bodies bleeding out almost created a literal river of blood.

Now the city arrangement also made sense. It was not only an arena of death but a stage of one, a stage where no matter where they were all would see the gruesome spectacle.

The invaders stood as silent witnesses as the city, for the moment, returned to complete silence once again.

But oh, it wasn't over.

The finale was only half done as after what seemed like an eternity of silence Exyle brought back sound into the city.

"Ebony Guillotine, deactivate grand silencer runes… now"

"I shall obey, my lord" said the girl crew member.

Above the crystal spikes were runes that floated above which also explains the lightning effect from earlier.

The runes twisted and turned until all at once they all disappeared.

What they released was what finally broke the entire Fioren force.

All at once the agonizing screams of those that had fallen were released, kept behind the runes of power for this exact moment.

Agonizing.

Blood Curdling.

Anguishing.

Chilling.

Terrifying.

The screams harmonized together into an unearthly melody of pain and suffering, one only rivaled by the tortured souls of hell itself.

It just went on, and on, and on, and on, and on.

After what seemed like an eternity the hellish sounds finally laid to rest.

The Fiorens were shocked beyond disbelief and all including Natsu were to terrified to do anything other than take in the moment.

"Strange, they usually start running by now" said Exyle to himself.

"Oh, that's right! They're too terrified to move. Well then, an encore should fix that"

He outstretched his hand again not to give a gentle blow but to cast an Olympian level of lightning unto the floor.

It was not to char the remains, oh no, but instead it was to shock those that were still alive back into consciousness only for a few seconds to give the Fiorens a small encore performance.

The screams from those impaled coupled with the pain from the lightning was a worthy performance indeed as it broke the Fiorens out of their trance.

For the true final part of the finale, he started moving his fingers which in turn moved the crystals.

Basically, he turned the spike trap into a grinder with crystals growing and shrinking at a fast pace finishing off the many that clung to life.

With the finale truly done, it was the Fiornes turn to scream in utmost terror.

Absolute panic traveled through the Fiorens ranks as they no longer focused of fighting for their homes but instead focused on ….. actually they didn't know what to focus on.

They were no longer an army but a frantic mob. Unguided and dangerous to both the surroundings and themselves.

Erza's first thought after the performance was to charge Exyle and make him pay for what he had done to those people.

She almost did, but with an almost countless number of SHARDS between her and him, the Fioren Army in complete disarray, her own exhaustion, and what she saw for herself what this man was capable of, what Demi said earlier overpowered such a thought.

"The city is a complete maze, everyone from here to kingdom come is separated, morale is deeper than the hellhole we walked into, and from what I was able to gather before our communications lacrima guy went down they're pushing people en masse off the edge"

With those words echoing in her mind, she knew what she had to do.

She hated the very thought of it especially after what they had all gone through.

It wasn't an easy decision.

No, it was the only decision at this point.

She had to face it, they all had to face it.

They were thoroughly beaten.

For her sake and everyone else who lived, she HAD to do it.

She took a deep breath, her body fighting her for every second that she did.

Her brain refused to surrender the words to her tongue.

Her pride did everything it could to not iterate those words.

Yet by pulling every last bit of willpower she had, she broke through all those constraints and in the presence of everybody including Exyle she finally uttered the words for all with ears to hear.

 **RETREEEEEEEAT!**

"And there's the fear. We've won this battle" though nobody could see it, beneath his mask Exyle smirked triumphantly.

...

...

...

* * *

With a swish of his cape, Exyle returned to the Guild Hall to relax. Maybe even take a quick nap in the Magnolian heat.

He knew that the moment Erza said that word he was no longer needed. From this point forward it was only a matter of mopping up or what he liked to call it the "Fun Free Kills Phase" (He was still working on the name )

"*yawn* All warriors. Give them a minuet head start and then…. pursue and destroy by any means necessary . Cease your pursuit on victims - I mean - targets after they have left the city edges. Happy hunting's everyone" was his final order before disappearing behind Fairy Tails wooden doors.

Meanwhile, across the battlefield, everybody that wasn't an invader did their best Usain Bolt out of the city.

Those that couldn't run walked as fast as they could.

Those that couldn't walked crawled to their best ability.

Those that were being trampled didn't care as they did anything they could to escape the city post haste. One guy even tied himself to the other guy on the horse to drag himself.

Even the guild mages had no choice. Erza was right this was no longer a question of winning but of survival and the best option for that was to leave. NOW.

But among all the sensible people, only two remained. One was Erza who took advantage of the reprieve and cleared as many paths as possible in record time draining her even further.

After the Fiornes were a good distance away from the invaders, the minuet expired and the for the invaders it was hunting season.

Erza was the first to experience this when the SHARDS who were floating a good distance away from her finally resumed their attack.

"Tch! Looks like our head start is finally over! I should be going too!" with every ounce of magic left in her she flew away from them as fast as possible.

"No good, I'm using too much magic just by staying in the air. I'm going to have to go on foot" she unequipped her armor and returned to her usual Heart Kruz armor, joining the rest on their retreat from the city.

Now the second person who stayed was none other than Natsu who after being scared mindless went into a rage against the Dragoon.

"YOU BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU DO HAT TO THOSE PEOPLE! HOW DARE YOU!" throwing magic left and right, he didn't care if he was wasting his magic reserves. He had to make them pay and the first one would be the Dragoon.

It had the upper hand in their entire brawl, but now it was in trouble. Granted it was dodging his magic like it was nothing but the sheer volume of it all was going to overwhelm it eventually. It could take a hit but it was no Centrion and it didn't want to take that chance.

The spider like legs danced a ballet of survival as he drew the Drgaonsalyer deeper and deeper into the city and even into fleeing Fiorens.

* _ **in the Guild Hall**_ *

"One of these rooms must have a decent bed or even a bed" Exyle was searching for a room to himself when he came across Gjorum.

"Gjorum, I thought you were having *ahem* 'fun'"

"Yeah, yeah I'm getting to it. Just gotta ready everything. Wait, why are you here? Shouldn't you be outside or somethin' ?"

"Hm? Oh it's simply the mop up. They don't need me there"

"WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me it was the Fun Free Kills Phase?! "

"Still not officially calling it that"

"Whatever! I gotta activate my traps before they all get away!" he said as he ran down to get his lacrima crystal.

"You have fun with that. Now back to looking for a bed" he opened a door which was labeled Mira's special room and found….well….

"There is no way I'm sleeping in….THIS"

*Back in the city of Magnolia*

The terrified Fiorens heard the invaders coming for them and that gave them the extra wind that their step needed.

While everyone retreated Natsu was still viciously perusing the Dragoon, finally tackling and crashing it through a building and into a wave of retreating soldiers.

Landing a few good blows the Dragon slayer finally had it on the ropes which forced the Dragoon to use fleeing soldiers as human shields.

"You coward , using people like that!" this seemed to enrage him more as he barely dodged the people and landed a Fire Dragon's Iron Fist combination on the Dragoon.

Hurt but not broken it continued to bring the Dragonslayer into retreating crowds.

Slowly but surely he was tiring the Dragonslayer.

The exhaustion was gaining tremendous grounds with him but he was so enraged into destroying the Dragoon that he didn't notice the hundreds of runes that just activated throughout the city.

Some were the crystal spike runes while others were either simple shock traps or outright bomb runes that stained walls...and the floors...and nearby people.

Natsu throughout his battle with the Dragoon passed by every type but didn't care what injury he sustained. No matter what he would destroy this Dragoon.

Unfortunately, his comrades didn't have such fortitude and they were either trapped, splattered, or impaled accordingly. If there was any good news from this it was that it only affected the Royal Army.

Erza, even if she was trying to get away, did her best freeing and helping the people who got caught in the rune traps until finally she came across Natsu fighting the Dragoon with reckless abandon.

"That idiot! Does he want to be captured?!"

After helping a soldiers leg escape a spike trap, she went for her Dragonslayer.

Natsu was unwavering in his resolve but where determination may almost be limitless the mortal body is not and the Dragoon knew this. Not only that he saw this.

The Dragonslayer was unknowingly succumbing to his injuries and all he needed was one little push.

Fortunately there was a trap rune nearby and the Dragoon took the opportunity.

He let the Dragonslayer land a blow and pretended to be dazed. It took the few steps back , baiting the Natsu to come and finish the job.

Natsu took it without second thought and placed all the magic he could into a Talons of the Fire Dragon.

Just as he thought he would finally win, the Dragoon caught him at the very last moment and slammed him into the ground and pinned his pants with one of its swords. What was worse, Natsu was right on top of a spike trap rune.

The Dragoon quickly jumped away and gave the Dragonslayer an eerie metal laugh as it reveled in the thought of watching the pesky mage finally get dealt with.

But for something with three heads, it didn't see the mistake it had finally made.

...

...

...

* * *

What its heads didn't see was Erza coming in at the last second and pushing the Dragonslayer out of the rune.

This happened so quickly that by the time the Dragoon realized it the spike run was activated and impaled it through the throat.

"Eh? Eh?! Erza?!" not being impaled he immediately noticed the scarlet that saved him.

"You idiot! I told you to retreat! Did you not hear me scream from the top of my lungs? What were you thinking?!"

"Hey I had to defeat that thing otherwise it would've chased me!" not exactly true but when it came to calming Erza down he always had this innate ability to say what she needed to hear. Sometimes it was unconsciously.

"Well it didn't matter because they're all still chasing us!"

"Look I'm sorry alright but it's dead now so we can escape in peace"

"*sigh* I guess your right. Come on, let's leave" when she tried to stand she noticed that leg was stuck in the crystal formation.

"Come one Erza we can still make it"

"Natsu, I'm stuck" he looked over and saw that a good portion of her leg was entombed in the crystal spike.

He started pounding at the crystal with his fist but to no avail. It looked like glass but was as hard as diamond.

"Damn, this thing is tough!" as he continued to pound it, the Dragoon came back to life and pulled its neck out of the spike and looked like it was bleeding blue fire.

Natsu prepared for another round but he didn't need to.

The Dragoon jumped unto a nearby roof and just before leaving gave both mages one last eerie, metal, jaw bleeding laugh.

Leaving the metal creature for another day, Natsu returned to freeing his knight from the crystal but it proved unyielding to his magic. Erza wasn't faring any better as her swords only chipped very small pieces.

As it looked like they were making very , very little progress, Erza heard clanking boots and stomping floors.

That could only mean one thing this far in: the invaders were very close.

She started chipping madly and Natsu punched as hard as they could but the battle had taken its toll on both of their bodies.

Erza saw the shadows of them just around the corner of the block and with one last look at her leg she knew that it was pointless.

"Natsu, we're never going to make it. Go on without me"

"Eh? What are you talking about?!" replied Natsu.

"Natsu they're right there and this material is too tough. We'll never break it in time"

"We just have to punch harder that's all!" he didn't want to hear any of it and started to beat the crystal. In reality he was punching his fists blue and Erza could see it.

"Natsu! Didn't you hear what I said?! They're close and you'll never break it in time!"

"I'm not hearing any of it Erza!"

"I'm too weak to cut off my own leg and you're barely standing as it is! Think for once and get out! "

"No!"

"Would you just go! There's no good in both of us getting captured! "

"Stop talking nonsense Erza!" he punched in vain as his fists were to swollen to make any impact.

"Natsu, look at yourself! Keep that up and you might lose your hands! "

"I don't care!" his fist not doing anything he resorted to kicking it.

Out of frustration, Erza grabbed his foot and yelled at him with the loudest voice she could muster.

"WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN TO ME FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE AND LEAVE ME ?!"

"BECAUSE WHY SHOULD I EVER LEAVE YOU ERZA?!"

The response caught her attention and left her speechless.

"Ever since we were young you were there for me! Protecting me, teaching me, and even feeding me! No matter what it was you were one of the first to be there for me! Now when I get a chance to return all that you've done for me you ask me to leave?! What nonsense it that?!"

The words struck her deep. She knew she was important to him but she never heard him let out his feelings especially like this. She let go of his foot.

"I don't care if it's a hundred, a thousand, or a million enemies after us! Just like in the Tower of Heaven and everywhere else I will stand by your side! " he turned to face the enemy and summoned what little magic he had left.

"I promised myself I'll never leave you or anyone of my nakama behind and I don't intend to break that promise now!"

Be blazed his fists and his feet. Rain, shine shame or pain he was ready.

"If they want us then fine! When I'm done with them they won't be seeing anything but stars!"

'Idiot' Erza couldn't help but smile. Natsu wasn't that smart. He was gluttonous, strong headed, stubborn, and goofy. But when he need to, he was also very caring and sweet.

"I'm never leaving you Erza. Never"

It made her feel good hearing that. So good that it made what she was about to do actually excruciating.

With her knee barely free, she was able to stand on one leg and quickly turned Natsu around to hug him.

"Thank you, Natsu. For everything" she whispered in his ear.

Sadly, before he could say anything in return, Erza punched him the gut knocking him out cold. She couldn't let him be captured. She wouldn't let him be captured.

She re-equipped her De-Malevo-Lance and stuck it under Natsu's shirt. Twisting her body the farthest she could, she aimed for the furthest building she could see and launched her lance and Natsu with it.

It passed by Gray just as he emerged from the rubble looking for the two of them.

"What the-? Erza?!" he saw that Erza was trapped but Erza deciphered his intentions and immediately denied them.

"Gray, take Natsu and get out as fast as you can!"

"But-"

"Gray, now! Please!"

Seeing the entire situation, Gray knew that she had a point. Biting his lip and apologizing to her in his mind, he got the unconscious Dragonlayer and left the Scarlet Mage to her fate.

Standing again on her one free leg, she re-equiped into her Black Wing armor.

The invaders finally came around a corner and saw the trapped mage.

"Look, it's her! The red haired one!"

"Alright you bastards! If you want them, then you have to go through meeeeeee! "

Meanwhile, outside the city….

Mirajane was doing her best to treat the injured before leaving. She still hasn't seen Gray, Natsu, or Erza among the injured. She was starting to get very worried.

Then, out of nowhere, Gray jumped down from a high city block.

"Gray, are you okay? What happened to Natsu and where's Erza?"

"She…. She…..she told us to go ahead…" Gray felt somewhat humiliated admitting something like that to Mirajane and she sensed it.

"Well… I'm sure she has her reasons….." she reassured him.

"But… but what if…."

"Gray Fullbuster, this is Erza we're talking about. She's strong and she's smart. She knows what she's doing and if she wanted you to leave her then….. Then we have to trust her"

"I hope so" he said as he gave Natsu to Mirajane.

"I hope so too" she replied.

 **Epilogue:**

Approximately 13,000 men were deployed under authority of the king to retake the city of Magnolia.

When the gruesome battle was finally over, commander Lahar of the Rune Knights reported a loss of about 8,970 with over 1,456 wounded and an estimated 707 missing or captured.

Among the captured was recently promoted Division commander Deni and Fairy Tail S-class wizard Erza Scarlet.

Reports from the survivors reflected what many had said throughout Operation Dragonlance further embedding doubts in the minds of the Fioren Army.

* _ **That night in Magnolia…..**_ *

When Erza woke up, she was on a stone floor. Her only light was what came from the runes around her but other that she was in a dark room.

"Ouch….ow, what happened?" the last thing she remembered was fighting off a bunch of invaders to a stalemate before….

"Oh, that's right. One of those Centri-something sucker punched me "

"They're called Centrions toots. Try to get the name right" said a voice in the dark.

She quickly stood up but found her arms chained to the floor.

"Yeah like I'm taking a chance with you. Get comfy cause those chains-" before he could finish Erza twisted her chains so tight that they broke from the stone pegs on the floor.

"Damn, that's kinda annoying but also hot..." said the voice.

"I told you that you needed more chains" said another voice.

"I know that! I just wanted to see her in chains and boy was she smokin'!"

"Can you at least turn on the lights? I can't see a bloody thing "

With a breath of fire Gjorum lit all the torches in the room.

When Erza's eyes finally adjusted, she saw that she was in a large stone room with nobody but Exyle and Gjorum there.

"Much better" said Exyle.

"Rise and shine toots. Now, what to do, what to do? Oh all the fun I could have with you!" said Gjorum.

"Not so fast Gjorum. I still need to interrogate her"

"Aw come on! Let me have some fun!"

"Like you had fun with that Division commander? After seeing what you did to her I'll be surprised if she could even think straight. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to interrogate a broken mind? Need I remind you that time is of the essence in a blitzkrieg?"

"Geez you're like my mom always nag ,nag, nag!"

"Well maybe if you learn to control your 'fun' then you wouldn't be in so much trouble. How is she by the way?"

"Still bakin' flies and smashin' pies! Oh wait…. I think it's the other way around"

"Excellent. Tell her I said hi. Now on to the matter of interrogation"

"She looks tough and pretty. You could say she's a pretty tough nut to crack eh?"

Ba Dumm Tss

"Where did that come from? *ahem* Anyway, you may have a point. This may unfortunately take some time…."

"Maybe we should ask nicely"

He stepped closer to the runes until he was right at them.

"Hey toots, we ginger's gotta stick together. So waddaya say you throw me a bone and tell Mr four eyes here what he wants to know. The faster you do, the faster we can have loooaaads of fun!"

Her response was a quick jab at him though the runes acted as a barrier.

"Hohoooooooo, she fights back! I like it when they fight back! It's makes breaking them so much more fun! Wait….." he took a closer more serious look and inspected her from head to toe.

"Tell me, have we met before? I'm seriously getting some mad déjà vu vibes from you. Not just you but your annoying friends as well " his tone was more serious than a while ago like he was seriously thinking but Erza didn't answer him.

"Not talking eh? No rush, I've got all the time in the world"

"Gjorum..."

"Look four eyes, I'm gonna stay here until I've had my fun with her and there's nothing you can do to persuade me"

At that exact moment, Cruz opened the door behind them to deliver a message.

"Nyeah, boss you there? That Deni dame finally woke up and she's still pretty lively. We're done with her but maybe you might have more luck getting something out of her"

"Hot dang! Round 2 here I come! Forget what I said four eyes you can play with her for the night! Awwoooooga!" he ran out of the room like an excited child, leaving the masked man with the scarlet knight.

"*sigh* At last he's finally gone. Now we can get on to business"

The two said nothing as both merely looked at each other.

Their eyes analyzed every small detail about each other though Exyle had the better of it since he was wearing a cloak.

A minuet that felt like hours passed until finally Exyle broke the ice by teleporting the chains away.

"You won't be needing those anymore "

She still didn't say anything.

"Judging by the way you fought earlier, I would say that you are this Scarlet Warrior that makes it rain swords from the sky that my messenger told me about. Not only that but if it is to be believed you single handedly liberated the entire Sorien front. Tell me madam, is it true?"

Erza kept her lip shut, unsure as to what to say to the masked man.

"Oh come now madam, I won't do anything to you…well.. nothing as bad as Gjorum would. We can be civil so please do give me an answer. Are you the one?"

"So what if I am?" she still wasn't sure about this but she felt a sense of…. ease around this man. She felt that he was reasonable and controlled. Even for a little but just a little she let her guard down.

"At last he speaks. Well if you were this warrior then I as a warrior myself must first commend you on your great skill. It is very rare for an individual to fight off an entire warband" as a sign of such respect he gave her a quick bow.

"Well I guess it's good to be appreciated"

"Only giving credit to where credit is due madam"

"Erza"

"Hm?"

"My name is Erza Scarlet. I don't like being called madam"

"A little too formal for your taste?"

"Nah, it just makes me feel old"

"*chuckle* I can relate"

"Well?"

"Hm?"

"Isn't it courtesy to tell your name after one has done it?"

"Oh yes, you weren't there when I defeated your friends. My apologies, I am Exile Night. Right hand of his imperial majesty and leader of the Black Hand of the Throne. Pleased to make your acquaintance Miss Erza"

"Well you're polite"

"My parents taught me well and beat the rebel out of me early in life"

"I figured. So Exyle, what do you plan to do with me?"

"It's rather simple actually. I intend to interrogate you for information that would aid in our war efforts"

"And you seriously believe that I would just tell you such information?"

"I am no fool madam , of course not. You do not strike me as an opportunist. Unless….."

"I'm not going to betray my friends so don't bother"

"*sigh*Oh well, it was worth a try"

"So, knowing that, how do you intend to proceed?"

"Well I'm quite the negotiator Miss Erza but as you heard earlier we are in the middle of a blitzkrieg and time is of the essence. That unfortunately means that I will not be able to display my silver tongue so a more…. unconventional means is required "

"Define …unconventional"

"It's better if you see it for yourself"

He took out his personal lacrima crystal and spoke to it.

"Call the Inquisitoria's"

Not long after strange looking men carrying a strange, jewel encrusted box came in.

"Miss Scarlet I present to you the arguably best information gatherers and keepers on the entire continent the Destreza Inquisitoria "

"That sounds fancy" she said.

"If you think that's fancy you should've heard the long version. Couldn't say it for the life of me or even remember it "

The men said nothing and drew out blades from their robes. They stretched their hands over the box and cut them. As the blood dripped, the crystals began to glow.

"This is unconventional" said Exyle.

The cursed jewels absorbed the liquid, shattering into dust but reforming shortly after into a wraith figure above it. It glowed a bright bluish white and its face was void of human features save for the skull. The box then bound the wraiths hands in ghostly chains.

If that wasn't strange enough, Exyle stretched out his hand and removed his glove. He reached for the hand of the wraith who gave him a ghastly stare. Unfazed by the scare he slowly positioned his hand that same way as the wraiths though Erza could notices a slight pain coming from his eyes until finally there were practically one.

After he was done he bound Erza in lightning shackles and entered the circle.

"I promise this won't hurt. I've tried it on myself. Though it's going to get weird " with his ghost hand he held her by the chin to look at her before grabbing the side of her head.

" _ **Ed' amin naia lle fea istima amin!**_ " he and the wraith said.

Erza's eyes and mouth glowed brighter than the sun and whether the promise of no pain was true or not one thing was clear her screams echoing through the halls of the guild would not make for a quiet night.

* * *

 **Thus concludes another part of this epic tale. To those who came you have my eternal thanks. I shall try to bring the next part on the usual date but alas I reserve no hope for myself so it may not be.**

 **Truly it's your presence that makes this undertaking all worth it so please if you have any suggestions, corrections about the lore I'm integrating, or something else of the same nature then I implore you to please, please, please, please leave a comment. Any is appreciated ^_^**

 **Feel free to comment, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit.  
**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	15. Chapter 15 - Revelation

**Good afternoon (at least the internet says afternoon) my lovely and fellow audience. Two months the play has been silent and truly I do apologize for the wait. to make up for it in some degree I present to you two chapters worth of content all weaved into one. What was intended to be a rather short presentation escalated into this but fear not! Since I was given time I had a chance to refine this chapter to the best of my ability. I do hope the length does not bore you**

YourFellowOtaku chapter 14 . Jun 2

Ohhh neeeeee ERZA! Why does the one romantic moment between natsu and erza have to be spoiled in the worst way possible?!it was my birthday dude this is the worst day ever (btw DW about me calling u a dude if ur not a dude I call everyone dude... don't judge...)

 **LOL Happy birthday (belated by the time you read this) to you and may you have more to come, I hope to deliver since this isn't just a NaZa story but realize this is still a NaZa story**

 ***One last quick note, Charles was actually Carla all this time so pleaseforgive me for the error. In my defense I blame the subs  
**

 **But I have kept you long enough. L** **eave the troubles and toils of your world for just a moment as I present to you the next act of Fairy Tail : The Imperium Encounter.**

 **Oh and please do leave a review. Any review. Hopefully it would be of use to us both ^_^**

* * *

"WRONG!" for what could've been more digits than she could count, a young Erza has yet again beaten the table with what was her 12th ruler from Natsu's mistake.

"Oh come on! What's the matter this time?!" the young Dragonsalyer was glad that the table took the blow and not him (at least not yet)

"It's spelled Le-vi-o-sa not Levyohsaaaahhhhh!"

"Hey it's how it sounds like!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?! The way it sounds isn't always directly the spelling!"

"But…"

"No buts and why are your letters capitalized randomly again?!"

"You said the more important letters should be capitalized first!"

"No, I said that capitalize the first letter in the first word of the sentence or in the more important words!"

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It makes perfect sense! You're just not listening!"

"Well at least I got the apostrophes right! Eat that Erza! "

"Oh really? Okay, what do apostrophes do?"

"Ha! Easy! They end the sentence!"

"Okay, then what is this?!"

"I don't-"

"What does it say?"

"I love food and my father Igneel!"

"WRONG!"

"What?! You're crazy it clearly says I love food and my father Igneel!"

"No, it says 'I love food (period) My father Igneel!' Why is there a period in the middle of this?!"

"That's the end! You know, things like end are used to connect sentences to make them compound"

"You moron! Ending a sentence isn't the same as the conjunction and!"

"Well I'll remove it!"

"Then it becomes a run-on sentence which still makes it wrong!"

"I'll run-on you if you don't give me that!"

"Hey, watch it! Stop grabbing my leg!"

"You give me back my paper and let me correct it!"

"You can't correct it because it's all wrong!"

"You're all wrong!"

WHAM!

The young boys assault was finally halted by hard wood meeting thick skull.

"That's no way to talk to your master!"

"You're not my master. Gramps is my master!"

"Master, teacher, sensei it's the same thing in the educational system!"

"GRRRRAAAHH! Educational system my foot! Forget about this! " he turned his back on her and sat on the ground to nurse his head.

"What are you doing? You still have a whole exercise to finish!"

"Shut it ginger! I don't need you or this stupid reading!"

"How do you plan to become an effective Fairy Tail magus if you can't even read or what about finding Igneel huh?!"

"I….. I'll figure it out by punching my way through like I always do!"

"That's not always going to work! In fact I'm amazed you even got this far with just that!"

"Shut it ! Besides not everyone is like you Erza! We can't all be know-it-all! You don't know what it's like…."

The sudden shift in tone was enough to convert her steaming rage into a gentle sigh.

She let down her broken stick and stood beside him, handing hima folded paper from herskirt pocket.

"Natsu, read this"

"I thought I tol-"

"Natsu, please read it"

Sensing calm from the young scarlet, he acquiesced to her demands and read the paper.

"It's a job posting from the board"

"Correct. Now, what does it say?"

"I told you I don't ne-"

"Natsu, please"

"*sigh* Fine" he squinted his eyes and tried very hard to recall what all the words and vowels meant.

"I don't know….something about… a girl and bullies?"

"That's right. Now look at the reward"

The one thing he knew for sure to read though he still didn't see where she was taking him with it.

"It's small. Really small. As in worth only a market apple small. Why would this even be on the board? It's a worthless reward!"

"It may seem so, but that post was the first mission I ever went on "

"Why go for a mission with such a worthless reward? Even Gray went for something higher than this for his first"

"Because , Natsu, the reward I got was more than what the job says "

"You mean this girl gave you more money?"

"No, something better. Something greater than any amount of jewels. Her smile of grtaitude" she looked over and saw that she had his utmost attention and for good reason. Natsu never saw her this calm or this gentle… ever in fact. This was the first.

"Natsu when I was first brought into the guild I also didn't know how to read. It was difficult, I didn't know what most of the words meant, and remembering all those rules were a pain. Not to mention the vocabulary tests. It was tough but that job was the first one I successfully read and understood .I asked the Master if I could go on it and though I still didn't know how to use my powers well he let me go anyway"

"Why would the master do that?" he asked.

"I don't know"

"Well….what happened next?"

"Well I went to the place, found the girl, and saw that the request wasn't for her but her friend. He was being bullied by other kids so I stepped in and stopped them. When it was all over that's when I finally understood"

"Understood what?"

"That learning to read wasn't about going on missions or getting a lot of money. It wasn't about being the best. It wasn't all about me per se. It was about going out there and shouldering the burden others couldn't. Helping every person that was in need. Hearing their cries for help and being there to answer it. Reaching out your hand and guiding them through the troubles of their life"

She then looked him in the eye.

"Had I never learned to read, I never would've picked up that request and I would have never saved that girl and her friend. When she gave me that warm smile along with the reward, I knew that I had done good not just for myself but for another person. I had done something that was truly meaningful"

"So don't just do it for yourself Natsu but do it for your friends, for your family, for the guild, and for that one person out there whose life may be changed forever because you understood his cry for help and was there to carry the burden he couldn't. The more you do, the more you'll hopefully make the world a better place, little by little, one person at a time"

Those wise words would stay with Natsu for the rest of his life. He would always harken back to that summer day in the forest, alone with Erza and the books, every time he would take a job. It wasn't only for him, the world wasn't about him. Even Igneel would agree.

"*sigh* I guess you're right Erza"

"Of course I am. Now come on, back to your lesson"

"Can we eat first? I'm staaaaarving"

"Didn't I tell you yesterday that you shall not eat, sleep, or drink until you have mastered this?"

"Bur Errrrza!" nice Erza was gone and strict, scary Erza was back.

"No whining. Now diagram all these sentences and then we move on to infinitives!"

A distant memory….

A bright past….

A simpler time….

A lovely moment….

Such thoughts filled Erza as she saw the scene both from her eyes but also as an outsider. It was like she was there but at the same time she wasn't like her material form was unaware of the astral her that was watching.

She wondered why such a memory was playing out before her and why she felt both disconnected but present at the same time.

It wasn't long before the scene faded away from sight, disappearing in a bluish, white mist that glowed brighter and brighter blinding her completely until she was returned from the realm of sweet memories to reality.

Both the knight and the masked man let out an exhausted exhale as Exyle retraced his hand from her face.

"*pant**pant**pant* Weird , huh? Also very exhausting" said a tired Exyle as he stepped out of the runes and released her form her lightning chains.

"What *pant**pant* What did you do to me?" just as he had promised Erza wasn't in pain but her racing heart and sweating forehead were no welcome guest either.

"*pant**pant* All in due time " his hand that was one with the wraith reached for a glass ball that emerged from the golden box. Touching it, both man and wraith screamed as they released their energy into the ball. The transparent sphere filled with a mist but no so much as to make it opaque.

"Inquisatorias, that shall be all for today. Secure the Magnium for the night and return to your duties" the masked man walked back a good distance from the box and separated himself from the wraith, banishing it back to its golden case.

"By our creed forevermore, we shall obey" they said in a drone like manner as they picked up the box and left the two alone once again.

"Our session for now has concluded . I shall have the men prepare a meal for you at once . I wish I could do more but you are ultimately under Gjorum's care since you were caught in his territory" he turned to leave her but not before Erza called out to him.

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

"How long…."

"According to my lacrima give or take 3 hours"

"That long?"

"Time walks different in the realm of spirits"

"One more question: Was any of…..that real?"

"As real as the day they were formed. They are your memories after all, a vital essence of one's soul"

"My….soul? My memories? How-"

"As I said all in due time. Now , good evening to you while I find a bed"

Just as he was about to close the door on her, he gave her one final tease.

"I must say, your past is rather intriguing. I may know more about yourself then you do especially about your…. family heritage" he closed the doors and left her buried with cryptic answers and a rumbling stomach.

...

...

...

* * *

From the very first time man saw the sun set on the horizon and his body called for a need that he did not yet name but gladly gave into, the realm of dreams remained an ancient mystery.

Sometimes omens of the future, other times manifestations of your deepest desires, the occasional message from unknown powers, or just outright syphilitic insanity.

Such was the case for our Dragonslayer as he too experienced the dream of that summer lecture under the shade of the trees.

Yet where one ended short his soldiered on.

Natsu also remembered the beating that she gave him for drawing a square diagram, the food that she eventually gave him out of pity, the bath that they had in the nearby river to cool down, the grueling lesson that continued on throughout the night, and the tree that they both slept under since there was at least two more days of this.

It was there when his past laid to rest that his present finally awoke.

His vision blurred at first, but they quickly readjusted to the surroundings.

The first thing he noticed was a soft hand at his side. He turned his sore head and was greeted with the beautiful visage of a slumbering Mirajane.

The next thing he noticed was the wooden table he was on. It wasn't that comfortable but it did its job of keeping him from the floor.

Next were the soldiers all around that joined him in fellow agony. Those who couldn't moan let their broken eyes and bandages speak for themselves.

Natsu was heavily bandaged to the neck down, the padding more concentrated on his hands.

He tried to move them but was immediately met with the feeling of pins and needles.

Not just his hands but his entire body too was like it was under a weight. Every muscle he tried to twitch responded in crushing agony and refused to move.

Ultimately his will was the more stubborn and with great effort he got himself up waking Mirajane in the process.

"Natsu!" she didn't appear to be dozy one bit as she immediately lunged at the Dragonsalyer to help him stay upright.

"Ouch! Mira, what…. Where?" his will may have been stubborn but pain was a persistent enemy and easily cut his words short.

"Shh, don't move to much Natsu. You need to rest. Here, drink this" the Drgaonsayer didn't have much of a choice as Mirajane shoved a bottle into his mouth and forced him to drink it.

"Now, lie down on this. Easy now, easy" he guided his body back own and put a very soft looking pillow that she took form one of the abandoned houses beneath his head.

"Ahhhhh, thank you Mirajane. That's so much better especially with you here. I'm surprised your smile isn't a healing magic all on its own"

"Awww, thanks Natsu. That's very kind of you"

"Why weren't you this nice we were younger? We would've had so much fun hanging out instead of me avoiding you"

"I guess in a way it's a good thing I was mean to you .If you wasn't then I might've stolen you from Lissana" she joked.

He didn't know what and just laid there slightly blushing and all quiet as Mirajane unwrapped his bandages and wrapped them back in a more comfortable manner.

"I'm serious though. I've been healed by a lot of people but you by far are and always will be the best next to Wendy"

"*giggle* Well I've had a lot of practice thanks to you"

"Before or after you were in your beating me up on a regular basis phase?"

"Hey it wasn't just me. Erza was doing that too"

"Yeah I remember…. I also remember you two made it a competition to see who could beat me up the hardest"

"What's with the trip down memory lane all of a sudden?"

"A dream…. A dream of the past"

"Oh….. and what was this dream about?"

"It was….that time . The time when Erza dragged me from the forest to teach me how to read"

"Strange. Now why would you dream that?"

"I don't know"

"Does it happen a lot? You know, the dreams with you and Erza in it?"

"I…I don't think so. Maybe? What I know is when it's not Erza, it's about you or something else"

"So you dream of me? Oh Natsu that sounds so romantic!"

"It's just weird when it happens. That's all!" his cheeks a brighter crimson red.

"Oh Natsu you look so cute when you blush even when we were still kids" she giggled as she continued to re-wrap bandages.

"Oh yeah, now that I think about it where are we anyway? Are we back in Magnolia? We won right?"

Her mood immediately changed and Natsu could sense it. She kept her smile and finished wrapping one hand before answering.

"About that Natsu….. How do I say this?"

"We won right? Of course we did. After all I'm still alive along with the others and you're here"

Mirajane's struggle to find the right words quickly eroded his blissful ignorance.

"Umm…. Well…"

"Mira, what happened?"

No sugar would sweeten this truth. Besides better to let him know while he's still disabled than to know later and let him go on a rampage.

"Natsu, the truth is we lost"

"….Eh?"

"We were driven back. We're in Oshibana right now and Magnolia has fallen"

"No way…. But everyone got out right? We saved many of our allies …right?"

"Natsu, I just want you to know that our mage friends are fine. Just a little beaten up that's all" she said with a warm smile, a smile that Natsu saw through.

"Mira, you're not telling me everything"

"*sigh*" he always did know her best. I guess they were too close for her to hide anything from him at least that easily.

"Natsu, the soldiers, our comrades….."

"They're beaten up too right? I mean I'm seeing plenty of them here so that must mean a lot of them made it out… right?"

"*sigh* Natsu, these are the ones that got out"

"But surely the rest of the survivors-"

"These are the survivors. Most of them… most of them….. never made it out of the city"

"Wendy! I'm sure she-"

"She's been doing her best and this is it. She's been healing nonstop and what you see now is the best she could do. They were a lot worse when they first came here especially you "

"What do you mean when they first came here? It's only been a few hours"

"Natsu, you were unconscious for three days"

"Three…..days? Three days?" it was like he was accusing himself at how ludicrous the words coming out of his mouth sounded. It didn't feel that long. It couldn't have been!

"*sigh* Well Igneel said you can't always win" this acceptance of defeat surprised Mirajane who was expecting a fit, a struggle, anything really. It was almost…. mature of him.

"I'm…. glad you realize that Natsu"

"Mhm. Even when I was totally fired up they still put up a good fight. At least me and Erza didn't make it easy for them. That reminds me, where is Erza? I'm betting I took more down than her and I can't wait to rub it in her face!"

The cheery spirit in front of her made her want to leave. She knew what was coming next and didn't want to be there.

"How is she? I bet her leg is fine now and she's already training to beat these guys"

Well, here goes nothing. Mira took a deep breath.

"That's… not exactly right"

"So she's just….training?"

"No"

"She's resting then? I mean it makes sense"

"She is. Just…. Not in the way you think"

"You mean she's not awake yet?"

"I… think she is"

"What do you mean you think she is? She's fine right?"

"I don't know"

"I don't know?! What are you-" then it came to him like a wrecking ball meeting a condemned building on a first date. There was now way ….right?

"Mira, where's Erza?" he said slowly as if delaying the inevitable.

"She…..she….Erza's…."

"Spit it our Mira! What happened to Erza?!"

"She was captured!"

Unable to prolong both their suffering, she just let it all out and overwhelmed the Drgaonslayer into speechlessness.

"Not just her, Demi too and many other soldiers"

Natsu still couldn't say anything as his brain couldn't….no…. wouldn't process the words. Mirajane repeated herself.

"She was captured Natsu. Captured by that masked man. I'm sorry"

There was quiet for a brief moment as Natsu took the time to process what he had just heard. It took a while but he finally spoke.

"She's been captured…. For three days…. And we're just sitting here?!" he screamed though the soldiers nearby really didn't care anymore since they were numbed from the bad news.

"Natsu, calm down…"

"How can I be calm when Erza's just been captured?! Erza , Mirajane! Our Friend! In the hands of the enemy!"

"Natsu please. I understand what you're feeling but we can't-"

"Can't what? Can't what? Didn't the master tell us to never leave our friends behind? Our family behind? How could we just leave here there?!"

"Natsu, it's was what she wanted. When Gray brought you in he-"

"Gray? That bastard! I'll beat him up for leaving Erza and our friends behind. I'll beat him up so hard he'll-"

SLAP!

His fit of rage was interrupted by a soft had smacking him across his wounded face.

"Natsu! Don't you dare say that!"

Natsu tried to speak but this time it was the demons turn to roar.

"Gray wanted to save Erza as much as you do, but Erza told him to save the both of you! Did you think it was easy for him to leave her?! To carry you?! To save you while he felt guilty?!"

He tried to speak again but Mira stopped him.

"You're not the only one suffering Natsu! Everyone here is! We've lost our homes, some lost their friends, their family and you think for even a second they wanted to leave that?! Everyone here want's to get them back as much as you do!"

He just let her go on.

"We all want to go back and fight them again, but we lost most of our forces Natsu and we could barely stand as it is! We're lucky this Exyle hasn't left Magnolia to finish the job! He could easily do so! And that scares me Natsu, knowing that I'm so weak right now and I can't defend anybody. Knowing that… monster could come at any time and maybe kill us all. It scares me Natsu"

He had no words. In fact, no words would be appropriate.

"We all want to go back, but we can't no matter how much we want to. We can't…." she finally said what she wanted to say and the first response she got was an apology from the Dragonsalyer.

"I'm sorry Mira. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that"

"It's okay Natsu. We're all feeling the same way"

"Hey in my defense I would've felt the same way if YOU had been captured"

"*giggle* Or course you would. That's what makes you so sweet" she stood up to leave but not before he grabbed her hand.

"Mira, thank you for always being there"

"And thank you Natsu for always taking care of me" was her response along with a kiss on the forehead.

As she was just about to exit the tent, she bumped into Lissana and Lucy.

"Mira! We heard Natsu's voice! Is he okay" asked her concerned sister.

"Yeah Mira. Is that idiot screaming in his sleep or what?" asked a sarcastic but caring Lucy.

"Don't worry girls he's fine and awake" she pointed to the Drgaonsalyer who was smiling blissfully.

"He's all yours girls" was all she said before leaving the two to their pinkette.

"Not to be rude Lissana but I think your sister does weird things to Natsu when nobody is looking or when Erza is not around" said a suspicious Lucy.

"Honestly, I've felt the same way for years but I never caught her. It's either not true or she's just that good" agreed an equally suspicious Lissana.

...

...

...

* * *

The oldest and closest of humanity's witnesses are the sun and the moon. Both never meet as both rule over domains opposite of each other.

The sun shines bright and is the center of attention with a few cloud haters that sometimes get in the way but with the bright, shining mass always the winner in the end.

The moon shares it stage with the stars and performs a twinkling symphony every night as a reward for those braving fatigue and the dark.

Both witnesses to humanity's greatest times, darkest times, to truths long lost and faded into myth, and secrets kept away or taken to the grave. All while they march on rising and falling when one performance ends.

So it was that four more days and nights passed on, uncaring for the invasion nor the city of Magnolia that had become an altar of sacrifice to the hunger of war. They did not care, from the heavens up above they both had seen it all.

While our captured heroine Erza from the earth below saw her memories played out in front of her yet again.

A week had passed since he first started ripping her memories away from her. She stopped resisting during these sessions since she found early on that no matter how much she struggled he would take them anyway.

Though she was thankful that even after the sessions she would still retain her memories (perhaps the magic copied them?) what she was not thankful for was the unbearable, skin crawling goosebumps that came after.

The memory today was of her battle with Jellal at the Tower of Heaven.

She had just surrendered herself to the magic crystal in order to save her friends when the next thing she knew her friend and dragon Natsu was pulling her out with hell-bent determination.

The next thing she remembered was being in his arms as they emerged from the sea with the crystal tower falling behind them.

As their friends came from the shore, she pressed head against his and with a gentle whisper told to her dragon.

"Thank you for always being my guiding fire, Natsu"

One of the most important and heartwarming moments of her life, just like many others, started to fade into a mist and she knew that the session for today had ended.

She came back to reality, her heart and head no longer wildly pounding like before and her breath calm and collected.

She opened her eyes to look at her "interrogator" who also no longer tired from their sessions. Then again she could never really tell thanks to the mask.

He reached to the orb and with the wraith filled it yet again. It was almost completely opaque now with the fog that was her memories swirling around inside.

As the masked man was occupied, Erza took a look around her prison and was amused at just how much it had changed in the past few days.

Every day right after her "interrogation" Exyle would always bring something for her.

At first it was only food (which was surprisingly delicious) which then slowly graduated to simple but sturdy furniture like a stool and a table.

After she stopped trying to break down and out of the lightning barrier which proved immune to anything she tried (also Exyle asked her rather politely since her attempts of escape were causing a lot of noise and the men needed to sleep) he brought her more decent furniture like a larger table , a better chair, and… get this… an entire bookshelf filled with works and literatures from back home. It was almost like a reward for good behavior!

She didn't complain, at least out loud (that and Exyle said if she behaved longer he would work out on getting her a bed! Now that's a deal!). As the saying goes never look a gift horse in the mouth.

She might as well conserve her strength and play along. Maybe as he learned about her by ripping out her memories she could do the same but with literature.

The energized chains that bound her to the ground dissipated and after a quick stretch she routinely returned to her table and continued reading.

Her interrogator finished his routine as well and sent off the Inquisatorias leaving the two of them alone.

He walked up to his prisoner who didn't even notice him and he took a peek at the book she had.

"What are you reading there Miss Scarlet?"

"Men Betwixt Sword and Rose"

" Ah, excellent choice. I suggest you also read Brushogun: Painting the Battlefield for Victory "

"Sounds interesting"

"It is. Not only do the two books handle the same subject but the latter goes deeper into it despite being written by an Eastern Mystic who never met the former author"

"Thanks for the suggestion"

He doesn't reply but instead picks up his own book from the shelf and starts to read on the stool.

"What are you doing?" asked Erza.

"Reading" he replied.

"Here?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Even I crave for rest from the hustle and bustle of the men. Would you mind?"

"….. No, not really"

And so they both indulged within the written words of the page, engaged in the wisdom they shared and lost in the worlds and the minds of those that wrote it. Silence amplified the bustle of their imaginations as the presence of time became an unimportant bystander in their crowded thoughts.

After a while they both started to get quick glimpses of each other, studying each and every detail as if it might provide some sort of later advantage, until finally both their eyes came into contact.

Erza, thinking on her feet, asked a question in order to deflect the awkward moment.

"You know…."

"Hm?"

"I've quickly gone through all the books you gave me"

"You read them that fast?"

"Skimmed, not read and I have to say your people's mindset is…. interesting "

"How so?"

"For starters your view on magic is beautiful. One of many quotes that stuck out to me 'Magic is meant to be used not understood for one is your responsibility and the other is an impossibility'. I found myself agreeing to that immediately"

"So did I when I first saw it" replied the masked man as he turned another page.

"There are also many references to combat that's so eloquently interwoven into common wisdom and speech that it's almost like poetry. It's beautiful to be honest"

"We take great pride in our martial prowess and traditions so from a warrior such as yourself I can see why you find it so "

"However….. there are some things I've found… distasteful"

"Oh? Do tell" he always found discourse by tongue or by blade intriguing as it allowed for a greater insight into a person's psyche.

"This book on how to rule for instance. This…. prince seems to advocate methods of cruelty and manipulation all for the sake of order and power. From what I see such is the way of tyrants and power hungry madmen"

"Such is the mark for the reality of leadership, Erza. If one can stoop so low as to claim power then one must be willing to stoop just as low or if not lower to hold it. How and for whom it is held will be their mark for history to judge and generations to experience"

"Doesn't power corrupt a person and lies bury the truth?"

"The truth of today could be the lie of tomorrow or the lie of past made real, it also bends over to those who are willing to pay enough for it. Power on the other hand is the venue from which you may act on the world and corruption from that power is either a result of naivety or a failure of your tested character. Ultimately, without power how can accomplish anything and defend what you find to be true? Surely you know this"

She couldn't answer. In a way he was right. She craved power too but not for herself but to protect her friends and the better world that she truly believed she was fighting for.

"*sigh* Maybe you have a point. The next book however is about slavery. For a supposedly noble and martial people why do you even have this kind of book?"

He noticed a slight increase in her tone and figured that the subject hit close to home. Of course he had an idea from the memories he's seen but he still wanted to see how she would react.

"Slavery is a practice as old as civilization. If there is one thing that every culture be it from the mountains and from the seas, from the scorched earth to the frozen wastes there have always been slaves"

"That still doesn't make it right!" as expected from the way she reacted to that he concluded it was VERY close to home.

"Not right? Maybe. Yet history has proven the futility of eradicating the practice from the consciousness of men. Since it cannot be destroyed then at the very least it should be regulated"

"You really believe that?"

"I believe it is better to have it under one major power so there can be some semblance of structure and order than to leave it to the hands of anarchy in the form of totally uncontrolled slavers that reek greater havoc in the long run. It's not the ideal solution most hope for but in the end it is a practical one. Plus I doubt you've met slaves who beg to return to servitude after being freed. It happens quite a lot especially if the slavery is a long standing tradition"

"People aren't property that you can just treat however you want"

"That's why we regulate that too… to an extent"

The way he so nonchalantly answered mostly infuriated but also intrigued her. What led him and his people to think like that? Well since he was here she was going to get as much as she could.

She did her best to calm her emotions down to bring the conversation to the next point.

"I find what you just said just as disagreeable as the next point I wanted to bring up. Your people's obsession with conflict and war"

"Obsession?" his confused answer confused Erza as well but she kept going.

"Yes. War is a terrible thing. Conflict is a terrible thing. People get hurt, lives are ruined, lands are decimated. Yet from what I have seen your people not only embrace it but call it an art! How can something so horrible be an art or be artistic in any way? "

"Conflict is a natural necessity inherited by both men and beasts. War is simply the highest form of that conflict. A means to an end. An inevitable necessity"

"But then… why such an artistic portrayal of such a necessity?"

"Necessity becomes art the more you are versed in it"

"What do you mean?"

"Through our many battles we have chosen to not fall to war nor to deny its nature. As such we have chosen to perfect what has been brought to our steps and make ourselves the stronger for it. I would argue that a flanking maneuver or a blitzkrieg is as beautiful in execution and form as a painted woman's mysterious smile. That a well-crafted strategy is a perfection of form as a thinking marble statue. So no Miss Erza it is not an obsession but a necessary, artictic mastery; one we with time had learned to love"

"Well maybe it's not an obsession but your people certainly have a glorification of it that baffles me"

"If only you knew what was happening in the main continent"

"I would if you left me a history book, especially about your people"

"*chuckle* I can't reveal everything to you yet Miss Erza. This is still the appetizer. The main course shall come in due time"

His personal lacrima then starts to beep.

"Time of which I do not have now. Excuse me Miss Erza but I must return to my other duties. Your meal shall come in a few minutes time. Today we're having mashed potatoes with a side order of cactus shrimp and Kokatoo egg rice. I do hope you enjoy"

Exyle then got up and disappeared behind the wooden doors, leaving behind a hungry mage both in knowledge and in salivating appetite.

...

...

...

* * *

"Okay, I think I feel it now" the Drgaonsalyer clenched his fist as hard as he could and for the first time in a while it didn't hurt.

Though the three days he was unconscious passed by swiftly, the five days he spent recovering felt like an eternity. He wanted to get healed immediately so he could storm into Magnolia , punch someone in the face, and save Erza. In other words, he wanted to Natsu his way to victory.

"Thanks a bunch Wendy! Now can you do the rest? "Through his hands were finally fine, everything else was still sore.

"I can't Natsu" said the ever loveable but tired Wendy.

"Aww come on. We already did hands now let's do the whole body"

"I only did hands because that's what you asked me to focus on"

"Well now you can focus on my body too"

"*sigh* Natsu I know you want it really bad but there are many others here that need it more"

"But…But…"

"Natsu, she told you that she can't. Quit being so bothersome to the child. She's exhausted enough as it is without your incessant whining" scolded Carla.

"Okay" frustrating as it was, the Exceed was right.

"Don't worry Natsu. We'll do it again later" though she flashed him a smile Natsu could hear the fatigue in her voice further proving Chalres point.

He left the young Dragonslayer to attend to the massive line of pain and despair waiting outside.

It's been eight days now since they were routed from Magnolia and he wondered what kind of torture they were subjecting Erza too. He knew in his heart that she would never break, but it pained him knowing that he was letting it happen.

Well it wouldn't pain him any longer since his fists were already healed he would go there tonight and rescue her.

Sore body be damned he was well enough in his eyes. With the rations he's been saving and some basic medical supplies that he had Mirajane teach him to competently use he was ready.

Now all he had to do was wait just a little bit longer without giving himself away.

Back at Magnolia it was another memory session. Erza on her knees and Exyle above her.

This session however was quicker than the rest and Erza noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing Miss Erza. It's just that the memories are up to date"

"What does that mean?"

"It means that from your earliest memory to this very moment I have acquired them all"

"No, I mean what does that mean" it took him a second to realize the nuance of the question.

"Oh. Well you're still our prisoner first and foremost. The sessions will still be held in case of new memories or potential oversights in the collection but the sessions won't be as long anymore. There are still some things that I might 'need' from you but the most vital one has been accomplished and any other use for you will…. depend"

"What do you mean by 'depend'?"

"It means that since my primary objective is done, you are now under the full care of Gjorum"

"You're leaving me with him?"

"You always were under him since the day you were captured in his territory. I simply stalled the inevitable while acquiring valuable information"

"Why can't you just take me from him or something? You seem strong and smart enough"

" That compliment aside we have principles and protocols to follow Miss Erza. We're an army not some random forest bandits dividing their loot"

"*sigh* Why do I feel like you're throwing me to the wolves?"

"He's not all bad, Miss Erza. Just a little rowdy is all….and hot headed….. and violent….and does what he wants depending on his mood…. and stubborn….. Am I invalidating my point? "

"Kinda"

"Well… he's not all bad. Let's just leave it at that"

"That is sooooo reassuring" she replied with sarcasm oozing from every word.

"*ahem*Your fate aside, I won't be able to to answer your questions today due to some extra duties on my part. However rest assured that your lunch will come as scheduled. Also, my men are scouring the city as we speak for a suitable bed . You shall have it within the day's end"

The masked man who never seemed to run dry in his well of mystery then left Erza again, but this time with a foreboding cloud above her head.

Night came faster for both mages and while Erza worried Natsu rejoiced.

He had everything packed and was almost giddy with excitement.

The hard part was not falling asleep while waiting for everyone else to but in his stubbornness he pulled through.

With sneaking skills that I don't think anybody has ever seen before he easily slipped passed the patrols and was at the edge of camp with everything he needed.

But somebody was already ahead of him and as he was about to leave he bumped into Gray of all people (Seriously there are like a million times in the anime where this kind of sneakiness would've been helpful)

"And just where are you going?"

"Out of my way ice princess"

"Not until you fess up"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because even I know you're not dumb enough to go back there like THAT"

"So what if I am? Look I don't have time to dea-"

"You're going back for Erza, aren't you?"

"…."

"I knew it" that was so like him to make such a reckless move for such a good cause. Still it warranted a facepalming.

"You gonna let me go or what?"

Instead of replying, Gray stripped open his cloak and showed him the multiple bandages and bruises he had.

"Natsu, I got these wounds while trying to get you out of the city and that's with fighting back. Do you really think you can save her when you're in as bad of a shape as me?"

"I don't care about me, I just need to rescue her"

"And what about her sacrifice for you? If you get captured then it would make it meaningless. Do you really want that?"

The Dragonsalyer was silent for a moment but decided that the best answer was what his heart was saying.

"I won't get captured" he said.

"But what if you do?"

"I won't"

"But what if?"

"I won't"

Knowing how the conversation was gonna go, Gray stopped trying to convince him to see reason and just let him be. Who knows, he might pull of a Natsu.

"Well…. good luck I guess"

"Can you cover for me until tomorrow?"

"Yeah, yeah I know the protocol by now lizarboy"

"Thanks Gray"

"Natsu…"

"Hm?"

"Bring her back"

"Don't worry I will" he then disappeared into the night and into the bowels of the beast.

In Magnolia, Erza just couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming for her. She tried to forget about it by reading more books but Exyle's words stuck with her. How different would this Gjorum guy be compared to him? Granted she hasn't seen him in days but it also made her wonder what he was doing to Deni.

Whatever the case she was ready for anything.

Her heart skipped a beat as the doors finally opened but quickly regained its normal pace when she saw a familiar masked face.

"Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?"

"What else? Alright men, steady now, steady. Be careful not to drop it"

It was none other than the bed he promised her and boy was it impressive….. and large.

"You will not believe where I found this" Erza wondered where in Magnolia he found such a bed. It was wide, more than enough for two people. It looked very cushy and the design on the frame just screamed elegant.

"You got that for me?"

"Well you have been behaving and I am nothing if not fair in my promises"

"One problem though: I don't think I have enough space for something like that"

One quick look at her prison and Exyle saw that she was right.

"Oh dear….Well worry not I have a solution for that"

After a minuet of waving his hands in the air he started walking and with every step casted runes on the floor. When he was finished the runes formed a circle larger than her prison.

The men then laid the bed within the circle and when they were finished both evacuated the area.

"Now I won't have to directly maintain your cage" with a snap of his fingers the lightning barrier dissipated, leaving the scarlet warrior still trapped but with more room.

"That shall be all for now Miss Erza and from this point forward I wish the best of luck to you"

He and the men left her alone again. She still couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming but at the very least she could lie down now.

Meanwhile in the city of Magnolia Natsu had just managed to knock out a night patrol. His fists did the job but his body started to feel worse especially since they were able to land a few blows.

"Dammit! I hate to admit it but Gray was right! Dammit!"

"Focus Natsu! You're doing this for Erza! But…. I can't fight like this. I'm going to have to be sneaky just like Igneel taught me"

So the Dragonsalyer dodged and weaved in the shadows with a skill that would seriously impress a ninja.

Avoiding patrols and wandering warmachines, he made it to the outside wall of the guild. Using a secret passage that Mira told him about he passed by the wall without having to climb it and by using another secret passage in a bush he entered a tunnel that lead to Mira's Special Room.

"Good, looks like Mira's training room is still intact" he carefully snuck by all the "stuff" until he reached the door. With a little peek through the opening he saw that the coast as clear.

Just as he left two wasted guards passed by but just to make sure he jumped on the beams of the ceiling and with spider like precision (again, many times this could've been useful) maneuvered the guild and listened to the enemy conversations.

Hammered men make for loose lips as with enough patience he was able to know where Erza was being held.

Careful not to alert anyone even if most were incompetent at this point, he made his way to the room and quietly opened the runed doors.

There she was. Bounded in more ways than one by chains of lightning and trapped in an empty, stone room with a bottomless pit surrounding her.

'I don't remember this part of the guild' said Natsu to himself.

As he gazed around in awe at the space around him, a faint voice called out to him.

"Na….Natsu?"

"Erza!" ignoring everything else, he traversed the great bridge that separated them until finally he came upon the barrier.

"Natsu, is that… you?"

"Erza, Erza! Hey, are you alright?!"

"Natsu…. Why….why did you come here?"

"Why? It's obvious to save you of course!"

"Natsu… you… shouldn't…" the sheer exhaustion coming from her voice made him boil as he wondered just exactly what they put her through.

"Don't sorry Erza! I'll get you out of here!" the moment he touched the barrier though a surge of electricity unloaded into Erza and she screamed in agony.

"ERZA!" he let go of the barrier and the surge seemed to stop.

"N….a….Natsu…."

"I'm sorry Erza! Maybe if I-" he tried to reach out to comfort her but ended up touching the barrier again.

"Natsu…."

Not knowing what to do, he tried pounding down the barrier and wouldn't you know it the same result.

"Naaa…tsuu….please…."

Either secretly taking pleasure in her pain or just simply insane, he tried again and again and again and again his failures escalating in both attempts and pleads for a stop to the pain.

Finally it culminated in one frantic, giant fireball that only gave Natsu the most agonizing scream he's ever heard from Erza. What was worse, he was causing it.

It was enough to finally break him.

There was simply nothing he could do.

He couldn't save her.

Even after everything that had happened he couldn't save her.

He couldn't keep his promise to Gray.

He couldn't bring her home.

He failed everyone.

All he cloud do was just cause her more pain.

He wasted her sacrifice for him and that, more than anything, hurt him to his core.

In total defeat he laid there on his knees just….. not sure what to do. The guards probably heard him by now and are on their way to capture him too. Maybe even subject him to the same kind of torture that they put Erza through.

He thought to himself he probably deserved it for his failure.

If only, he had listened…..

If only…..

"I'm sorry Erza…. I'm…. so so sorry…."

"I thought I could do it…. I thought I could save you…"

"You always were saving me and I always looked up to you for that . One day I thought maybe JUST MAYBE I could do the same for you as many times as you did for me. Maybe even more"

"I thought I was strong enough….. I thought I was strong…..But I'm not"

"I wasn't strong enough for you Erza…..I'll never be strong enough for you ….. Even when you need it the most…. I'll never be strong enough for you…."

"Erza…. Forgive me…. Please… I beg you….Forgive me…" defeated all he could do was let his heart talk and his tears roll.

The dragon knelt and the dragon wept before the knight.

"Naaatsuuu….Please…..Leave…..Get out….while you can…"

Again she drove him away and though the words stung, he knew it was because she cared. Even when she was beaten down she still mustered the strength to care.

She was so strong.

His head held down in shame, the dragon rose to his feet and fighting through the tears thanked the knight for the strength he didn't have.

"Erza….Thank you. I…..I….I…l " facing up he didn't notice that he put his palm on the barrier.

He quickly thought to retract it but noticed that this time Erza didn't experience any shock.

"Huh?…..What the…" he pushed on the barrier and like a ghost passed through like it was never there.

Unfortunately, it lead to him bumping head first into the edge of a table.

Jerking up in pain, he then stubbed his toe on said table.

As a finisher, he hopped his shin straight into a chair and fell into the floor knocking him out cold.

When he regained consciousness, he saw Erza standing above him and she looked fine.

He quickly got up on his feet and saw that yes, she was indeed fine. She wasn't chained or injured or in pain at all!

In fact she was better than fine. She looked all cozy!

His first reaction to seeing this was to slap himself. Maybe he was dreaming?

Nope he totally felt that and he totally knew he wasn't dreaming.

His next reaction was no reaction. He didn't know what to say since he still wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real.

"Erza?" he asked.

"Yes?" she replied.

"If that you?"

"Uh…yes?"

He was overrun with a whole spectrum of emotions as he ran up to her and hugged her as tight as he could. So tight in fact that Erza could feel it through her armor.

"*being crushed by tight hug noises* Natsu, I'm glad to see you too but…you're…crushing me!"

The Dragonslayer didn't stop and all Erza head from him was incoherent noises of joy.

She wasn't getting through him so she gave him a strong head-butt which finally caused him to let go.

"Honestly, I know you're happy to see me but are you trying to kill me or something?!"

"*snif* I'm sorry Erza. It's just that you were hurt and … I'm really glad to see you!"

"*sigh* I'm glad to see you too Natsu. Though…." she crossed her arms and gave him a stern look.

"You came alone, didn't you?" her voice immediately drove out all the happy emotions that Natsu was feeling and replaced them with fear. Yup, Erza was fine; fine enough to terrify him.

"Um….well…you see…. I….uh… planned and.." his terror and the answer was evident by his incoherence.

"So you did!"

"Umm….I…uh…yes?"

"Idiot! We're at war now! You can't afford to keep doing such reckless actions! And are those bandages?! You're injured too, aren't you?!"

Like a husband who lives in fear of his wife's anger, the Dragonslayer couldn't respond with real words and could only cower in fear.

"Oh Natsu, what am I supposed to do with you?!"

She let out a deep sigh since getting angry at him now would be counterproductive.

"Oh well, can't do anything about that now. So what was your plan?"

"Oh…um… I…"

"Spit it out man!"

"I was gonna go in, punch some guys, and get you out?"

"That's not a plan, Natsu. That's you being you"

Leave it to Erza to make someone like Natsu realize his own stupidity and stun him into speechlessness.

"Never mind, well improvise. Wait…where did you even come from?"

"Huh? What are you talking about? Didn't you see me come in?" he said.

"No, I didn't"

"But I was just outside. How could you not see me?"

"Natsu, what you're seeing now is what I was seeing. Nobody was here, you just came through there out of nowhere"

"But I was there! I saw you trapped and getting hurt so I tried breaking down the barrier and when I couldn't I…..I…. got really frustrated! Yeah, that's it, frustrated!"

"You saw me trapped and getting hurt?"

"Everytime I touched the barrier, yeah. You were even asking me to leave and all that"

'He saw me and heard me getting hurt? That can't be right I was reading. Yet, he sounds like he's telling the truth. Not only that, if Natsu was trying to break down the barrier I should've seen something but I didn't. I didn't even hear anything. What could that mean?' nothing added up she thought. How could they both be in the same room but experience completely different things? It sounded impossible.

"Okay, let's say you were just outside the barrier Natsu. How did you get in? As you can see I tried breaking this thing down like the last one from every angle I could and nothing worked"

"I'm not really sure. You see after I was frustrated I accidently put my hand on the barrier again and I just went through "

She immediately tried it herself and nothing happened.

"Weird, it worked for me. Maybe if you just… " his hand went through like it was nothing.

"That is weird" she said now more confused than ever.

"Well whatever it is, I can finally get you out. Come on Erza" he stretched out his hand and she took it.

Before leaving, she took one last good look at her cozy little prison and felt a little sentimental.

"Well, this was nice but I really have to go now" hand in hand they both walked passed the barrier and into freedom...kinda.

Erza had finally escaped and the first thing she noticed was the outside looked nothing like any room in the guild hall at all.

"This was out here?"

"Yeah, you didn't see this too?"

"No I didn't" she then looked back at her cage and saw that there was nothing inside.

"Okay, this is getting really weird" she stuck her head through the barrier and saw her comfy little abode but when she took her head out it disappeared.

She kept doing it over and over like it would give her an answer but it only compounded her confusion.

"Um…Erza, what are you doing?" ?asked Natsu.

"Just….checking something"

"Well…um…you can let go of my hand now"

"Hm? Oh….uh….sorry"

She then tried to enter again but this time the barrier wouldn't let her.

"Great. Even more mystery"

"What does this mean?"

"We can figure it out later. Right now, we have to leave"

"Right, follow me" they traversed the great bridge until they came to a wall where the door should be.

"Wha?! Where's the door?! It was right there!" said a confused Natsu.

"Are you sure there was a door there?"

"Of course! How else would I get in here?" while Natsu panicked, Erza was thinking

'First my prison, then the room, and now the door. It has to be some sort of illusion magic but why can't my eye see through it? I don't understand'

"Natsu, I think the door is still there but it's blocked by some sort of illusion magic. We just have to carefull-" when she turned around Natsu was already about to unleash a Roar of the Fire Dragon and before Erza could protest the door and a good portion of the guild was blown to smithereens.

"There we go, problem so-"

"You MORON! You just gave away our position!" she screamed chioking him as hard as she could out of anger.

"*choking noises* But…I…blasted…a...clear…path…"

"And told everybody we were escaping! Oh nevermind just come on!" grabbing his hand the two bolted through the rubble of the guild and made it as far as the outer wall.

The guards who were sober and patrolling in the city quickly converged on the pair like a swarm of ants and with the help of a few wandering Centrions were driven back to the guildhall.

"Erza, I have a plan but you have to get their attention!" screamed Natsu as he beat down another invader.

"We're trying to get out Natsu NOT be overrun!"

"Just trust me Erza!"

Oh to hell with it she might as well see what the Drgaonsalyer has up his sleeve or ….you know… vest.

"Alright" she re-equipped into her lightning empress armor and started blasting away at anything that wasn't Fioren.

The commotion was enough to get everybody and I mean EVERYBODY'S attention.

The whole city came crashing upon them and even the drunk ones were starting to sober up.

When they saw enough of them Natsu beckoned Erza to retreat inside the guildhall where they continued the fight.

Finally there were cornered by an endless wave of invaders.

"Alright Natsu, we got their attention"

"Is this all of them?"

Instead of her answering that it was Gjorum in his pajamas and holding a stuffed, fanged panda.

"WHAT'S WITH ALL THE NOISE?! I'M TRYING TO GET SOME SHUT EYE HERE!"

"What the… toots? How did you get out and what's scarf boy doing out here this late?! Eh whatever I'll stuff both you back in and figure it out tomorrow!"

"Okay Natsu, I'm pretty sure that's all of them" she said.

"Good, now distract them!" he said.

"Distract them? All of them?!"

"Yes all of them!"

"How?!"

"Use one of your armors!"

"One of my….. Oh, I think I got one!"

Calling upon the mystical magical forces, her body was encased in a golden light as reality itself bended to her request of re-equipping an armor through space and time (of course this is happening really fast). At last the spell was done and her armor indeed came to her in their time of need .

And that armor was…

Sexy Shinobi Armor!

"I knew I would get to use this one day!" she said all excited.

"*wolfy whistle* Nnniiiiiice, but you can only distract us with that suit for so long toots"

Telling Natsu to get back, she launched chains from her hands that ricocheted across the hall in very nauseating and impossible angles until finally they came for Gjorum. Luckily for him he easily caught them before it hit him.

"Gotta admit, that's kinda trick toots"

"That wasn't the distraction"

"Huh?"

"Escape Ninpo Art 42: Chain smokers!" each link then exploded like mini smoke bombs and blinded everyone in the guildhall.

"Alright Natsu, there's your distraction. Now what?"

"Follow me!"

Making their way through the smoke, they entered through Mira's Special Room.

"So this is what's in here" commented a surprised Erza.

"Come on, it should be in here…Ah, there it is!" after finicking with some of the "stuff" Natsu then opened the secret passage he used earlier.

"You sure know your way with those *ahem* things"

"Yeah, sometimes when I'm bored Mira uses them on me. It really good for endurance training"

'Endurance training? ….I'm going to have a looooong talk with Mira when I get back' she thought to herself as they both jumped in and the door closed behind them.

"This should lead us to an isolated part of the wall and into the city. With everyone distracted we should be able to get through with no problem at all"

"Wow Natsu, I must say I'm impressed"

"Gehee, thanks Erza"

And so our heroes made it through the wall and in the cover of darkness disappeared from view of the city.

Meanwhile in the Ebony Guillotine our masked antagonist watched and enjoyed the whole thing.

"Now that was quiet the lovely escape. A lovely escape indeed and I got it on recording. Bravo to both of you, especially to you my Dragonslayer friend"

Closing his screen, he slept like a baby not really worried that Erza had escaped.

It was now high noon and Mirajane was pacing the floor like a hysterical morther.

"Oh I hope he's alright" she said fro what was the hundredth time.

"Don't worry sister, I'm sure he'll be here!" said a positive but still worried Lissana.

"That idiot better not be captured" said Gray.

"Why did Natsu go without me?" asked Happy.

"Let's have faith Happy. I'm sure Natsu will be alright!" said Lucy

"Oh why did you let him go on his own?" Mira asked Gray again.

"I told you he was very adamant about it"

"You could've gone with him!"

"I am in no shape to fight and neither was he"

"But… Oh what if something happened to him?" she continued to pace though she wasn't wrong. They were all worried ever since Gray told them in the morning what had happened.

Just then a soldier called out from the tower as he saw two approaching figures from the horizon.

"That must be them!" the group ran to the path and saw two shadows with one being carried.

He did it! Natsu actually saved Erza and now he was bridal style carrying her back to them. If Mira wasn't so worried she would've started thinking up some "juicy" stuff if you know what I'm saying.

As the figures came closer they were in for a surprise or more likely an expectation?

It was two of them and there was someone being bridal carried, but it was a reversal of roles.

Natsu was the bride fallen and asleep in the strong arms of Erza who was carrying him.

"Erza, you're back" said Mira who was the first to hug her with everyone else following.

"Good to see all of you too. Oh Mira, take him to a bed will you? He fell asleep on the way back and I had to carry him the rest of the way"

Everyone had a sweatdrop at the revelation but they were all glad. Their family was hole again.

"Is he injured?" asked Mirajane.

"Not really though he did take a few good hits"

"*sigh* That's my Natsu alright. Come on big boy, let's put you back in the infirmary. Oh, Erza you might want to report to commander Lahar. I'm sure he would want to talk to you"

"Of course"

And so with the knights return, our heroes hopes were rising high like the afternoon sun.

Maybe there was a chance to win this war after all or maybe just like the sun they were about to be burned.

...

...

...

* * *

 **So the performance ends yet again and I return to my dark hole to write you more. I shall try to give another but shorter one in about a week time but even I begin to lose hope for that. Oh woe is me indeed**

 **But my personal troubles and failures aside...**

 **Feel free to comment, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit.  
**

 **The curtains close and I once again give you my gratitude.** **Thus, I bid you adieu and until our next tale. Farewell.**


	16. Chapter 16 - Let the games begin

**Ahhh the sweet scent of lavender curtains as they open yet again for another act of the play. I salute you my dear readers and I thank you for your patience. I also deeply apologize for making you use said patience. This chapter was meant to be short but yet again I have fallen to the love of my wordcraft.**

 **I intend to write a short chapter for the next one even if it will be the death of me within the next few days for at least 4 chapters. I must know if such a feat is possible for me so as to keep this relevant. I also have a new short fiction in the works of the same lore as for now and hope I may deliver it to you as well.**

 **I see none have commented and I can not fault any of you for not doing so. With the long breaks in between this play I m not surprised that boredom drives you from the theater to find something else. The fault lies on me however as my uploads are few and long.**

 **As for a correction: the retreat was in Onibus not in Oshibana.**

 **With my incompetence and ramblings aside, I present to you the next act Fairy Tail the Imperium Encounter. Relax yourselves, eat whatever food you may have at hand, and prepare for the next act.**

* * *

Morale is the most important component of any conflict. While some may argue that it is a sound strategy carried out through versatile tactics or the more obvious need of logistics to even do anything, without the morale to do any then all you have is mere intellectual play and stage props respectively.

Such was lacking in the Onibus deployment and even long after the battle none had returned. From the lowliest of soldiers to even Commander Lahar himself everyone was broken.

Even the mages were in low spirits. So low in fact that even Ichiya was too bummed out to be fabulous. Yes…. that bad.

So one can only imagine the rush of hope that flooded them all when they saw Erza among their midst again like a knight of old galloping down the streets as a shining beacon of divine protection manifest into human form against all evil. Even commander Lahar , stoic as he is, couldn't hide his joy when he heard the news and saw her come into his office.

"And then you escaped, just like that?" he was still elated at her return but after what Erza had told him he was now more of confused.

"Yes, just like that" she casually replied.

"…."

"Commander Lahar? Is something wrong?"

"No…well….yes. You make it sound like you were a valued guest and not a prisoner-of-war. Are you sure you weren't hallucinating? Torture does have varying psychological effects"

"My scars or more lack of them is proof enough of that. Believe me, I was just as confused as you are"

"*sigh* If we're not being beaten we're being stumped. Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"Other than the fact that they really know what they're doing, not much. They hide their secrets well"

"Too well. Okay, get some food and maybe some shut eye. We're going to need all the hands we can get. Oh and don't tell anyone what you just told me. Not yet at least. The men need to focus on recovering"

"Commander Lahar" with a bow of respect, she left him to think about what she told him and returned to her friends in a makeshift dining hall.

"What happened to her?" the first thing she noticed on the table was a swirly-eyed Wendy on the table not doing anything.

"The poor kid bit of more than she could chew with the healing magic" said Gajeel.

"Who's the next client? I could still go a few more rounds" said our ditsy, ever loveable Wendy.

"No you can not! Now open your mouth and eat something you poor thing" said Carla.

"Anyway red, good to have ya back. So, what's the story on your little incarceration?" asked Gajeel.

She told her friends all that had happened while carefully leaving out what she considered major details.

"That doesn't sound right" said Gajeel and basically everyone else at the table with their stares.

"But…but isn't torture like… painful and stuff?" asked Lissana.

"It is but I wasn't tortured" she casually replied.

"Ehhh? Mavbe I shouldub veen captured tuu so I couwed be treyedt like dat! " mumbled a clearly drunk Canna.

"I'm with Canna. They seem pretty nice" added Happy who was blissfully eating his fish.

"Have you already forgotten what they put us through? Honestly the memory of imbeciles is fleeting at best" commented Carla.

"It doesn't add up" replied the black exceed.

"Indeed. What military value is there for treating Erza, potentially one of their biggest threats, like she was a valued guest?" added Fried.

"Maybe they didn't know exactly who was in their hands?" replied Gray.

"Perhaps. Then again the battle last week should've proven Erza's value as a threat so the well treatment doesn't make much sense" the rune mage replied.

"Juvia thinks they were trying to make her join them" the water mage siuggested.

"That could be a possibility" replied Gray.

"Could be. I remember reading something like that in one of the guild books. Levy, does it ring a bell?"the ice mage asked.

"Sorry Gray. There isn't anything in the books about this. I've read them all at least a hundred times by now and nothing comes up" replied the bookworm mage.

"How about books outside of the guild?" asked Lucy.

"No book I know of Lucy-san, sorry"

"I don't know. It sounds almost chivalrous if you ask me and that's kinda hot" said Evergreen.

"Don't faun over the enemy!" Bickslow retorted.

"Hey at lest he knows how to treat a lady unlike SOME people"

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that the way he treated you was how a man should treat a lady! That makes him manly!" shouted Elfman.

"Oh you're al just overthinking this. He obviously did it because he likes her! " said Mirajane.

"Only you could come to such a hasty no RIDICULOUS conclusion!" her outrage at the mere idea was enough to catch the attention of everyone at the table.

"What? You can't call it ridiculous if it was derived from ALL the evidence presented now can you?" her coy voice implying something else.

"What are you-" it was then Erza realized that Mirajane finally caught on.

"I'm saying that if what you said is ALL that happened then it's a sensible conclusion for his motives. Anyone as smart as you Erza would consider ALL possibilities including that but your reaction to a sensible conclusion from YOUR own story was so….. instant and emotional. Granted it could be simple repulsion to the idea and THAT would be a normal response or it could mean… "

"You're not telling us everything" even with a thousand watt smile she was still the cunning devil from years gone by.

"She does make a point Erza" said Gray.

"Indeed. I feel like your story is missing some vital components" added Fried.

'Tch! Using a ridiculous lure hidden beneath your usual behavior to catch everybody's attention all so you could put me under a pressuring spotlight while you deconstruct my bluff. Mirajane Strauss I commend you on your devilish intellect' said the Scarlet Knight in her mind.

Unfazed by the waiting stares however, she leisurely took a few bites of her rations before swallowing and finally answering the group.

"*sigh* Okay you got me. Commander Lahar asked me not to tell anybody the whole thing at least for now. There, happy?"

"You don't have to hide anything from us" said Lucy

"Yeah we're your friends Erza" said Mirajane.

"More than friends we're like a family here so you can man up and can tell us anything without fear" said Elfman

"Besides why should that matter? It's gonna stay with us anyway" asked Gajeel.

"It maters because I have a respect for people like commander Lahar and what they're going through. Besides he said the men need to focus on recovering not on the people that beat them and he said not to tell anybody 'At least for now' so I'll hold him to that. Until then, that's all I have to say about it"

"Well *chomp* if Erza doesn't want *slurp* to talk about it *munch**munch**munch* then she doesn't want *swallow* to talk about it. All I know is when I'm fully healed I'm going back in there and punching that smug four eyed freak in the face! " said the Dragonsalyer in her defense.

 **….. In Magnolia**

"*sneeze* Oh dear I hope that doesn't form into a cold or worse" said Exyle while he was doing paperwork.

"You sneeze like a kitten!" shouted Gjorum from outside the door.

"And you need to watch you're soufflé"

"Watch my- Aw dammit not again! That was ONE SECOND! ONE SECOND!" was the reply accompanied by smoke.

 **… back in Onibus.**

"Bleh! This food doesn't taste right but at least I'm full. Wendy I'm ready for another round, let's go "

"Sit tight big boy I've got the feel good magic to melt aaaaaalllllll your troubles away" she said still swirly eyed and ditsy.

"You won't me melting anything at the moment young lady! Natsu, she's clearly exhausted and needs rest. You will have to wait like everyone else until she fully recovers " said a stern Carla.

"But when she's not healing me I have nothing to do in this stupid city!" said the Dragonsalyer.

"You are a big boy Natsu and as such you can handle that on your own. For goodness sakes the child's completely delusional! She can't even speak right let alone effectively mend wounds."

"But…"

"That's final Natsu!"

"She has a point" Erza conceded.

"Grraahhh!This is so frustrating! Just sitting here and doing nothing while our enemy is out there! I've got so much energy I feel like I could go back in there and take them on all by myself!"

"Well… since you have so much energy let's put that to use. We're sparring today!"

"Eh?..." words that would normally would be tinder to Natsu's fiery spirit instead became a tidal wave of terror mixed with a few debris of regret when it came from Erza.

" OhumwelllookatthatIseemtohavelostallmyenergysoI'mgo-"

"Nonsense, you look fine. Come, we'll do endurance first and then practice on your striking!" somehow understanding his incoherent babble, she grabbed him by the collar and dragged him away all the while spelling with his face.

"Please…help me"

"Don't be too hard on him Erza otherwise I'll have to spend a lot of time bandaging him up!" her voice was implying something else but only Erza noticed though this time she had no clue what it was.

...

...

...

* * *

The beauty of a wide open field is both timeless and without boundaries.

An open plain void of any obstruction save for a few trees that complement its loneliness with a unique song sung by the grass as the wind played the passing maestro magnified only if the vast blue ocean was within sight is an ingrained picture of beauty that till the end of time shall reside as a vital component of the human soul.

It's also a good place to fight a traditional battle and hunt for cool loot once it's over (if you survive).

Though practicing for one is good too.

I mean it can be just as intense without the death or the trauma and you get to work on your buns and thighs! I say that's a win-win!

And so it was in such a field that our two mages joined the other soldiers in combat training.

"*breathes in the calm air and the smell of clashing steel* Ahhhhh, nothing beats the smell of combat at high noon! Okay are you ready Natsu?" said Erza to a Natsu who was face first on the ground not responding.

She didn't get mad and only kicked him in the fanny and roll him over.

"YEEEOOUUCH!" the pinkete screamed in pain as he massaged his butt.

"Ahh good you're awake. Now for the warm-up. Run around this field at least 100 times!"

"Are you crazy?! Nobody can just run 100 laps!"

"What are you talking about? I do that all the time in the morning. It's easy and does well for your stamina"

"More like it would never return!"

"Stop whining Natsu! At least I'm not asking you to do my full warm-up!"

"What do you consider a full warm-up?!"

"100 laps, 100 pushups, and 100 squats. You know the usual"

"You do that every morning?"

"Of course! Being an S-class mage requires dedication, discipline, and focus!"

'I knew Erza was a monster but I think even monsters would be scared of her!' Natsu thought to himself.

"Whatever! I'm not doing it! I don't want my legs to fall off! And there's no way you cou-" uh-oh, he just brought down "the look" upon himself. Doom and death made manifest into a single pair of eyes. What's worse was she brought out what Natsu lovingly refers to as "the stick".

"What was that? I couldn't hear you. Please come closer so I can 'understand' you better"

"CouldyoutellmewherehtelinestartshereokayI'monit!" with the incoherent babble as his answer "the look" and "the stick" faded from view as he ran from the only hell he was scared of.

"Much better and remember to not waste your movement! It conserves energy!"

As the terrified, pink haired mage ran around the field, Erza couldn't help but feel a sense of pride seeing Natsu work to become better.

'Even when he's scared he still tries so hard' the thought made her smile.

"Hey Natsu, wait up!" she decided to join him in exercise since she hasn't really done anything for about 9 days.

And so the Dragon and the Knight toiled under the bright sun. Breaking their bodies and pushing their limits so they could taste the sweet fruit that was a better self.

When the last muscle had finally been stretched and the last bone finally survived from being broken, the Knight emerged beaten and triumphant yet again while the Dragon mighty as he was lay on the grass field unsure if the pain he felt was a sign that he still lives or if death decided to be cruel before claiming him.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh, that was a great workout! Don't you feel great Natsu? Natsu?"

The hot and sweaty pile she was talking do didn't answer or more of couldn't answer. Breathing was all she heard…correction…gasping was all she heard, loud and desperate gasping.

"Come on Natsu it wasn't THAT hard" the swirling unconscious eyes however told her another story.

"*sigh* Well at least you lasted longer than last time and I guess we could use a break" looking around the field, she found a tree that had ample shade and dragged the hot steaming pile of mess under it.

The tree was a good distance away from the nearby soldiers, not that far to be out of sight but far enough the Erza could hear the relaxing melody of the wind and the grass.

She sat down next to Natsu who was as good as unconscious at this point and took a break herself.

In her relaxation she noticed a petite figure running form soldier to soldier and thanks to her perfect vision noticed that it was none other than our ever loveable Wendy.

"Hoy, Wendy!" she called out to the Drgaonslayer who ran towards her after noticing.

"Hi Erza. How are you doing so far?"

"I'm a little tired but okay. How about you? I see you're feeling better"

"Yes I am. All I needed was a little nap and Carla said I was ready to go"

"What are you doing out here anyway?"

"Oh I'm handing out drinks and food to the soldiers. Turns out we have a surplus on supplies. I'm also giving some healing magic to anybody who might need it"

"You're a good girl Wendy. The world could use more people like you"

"Awww thank you so much Erza!"

"Say would you mind giving me and Natsu some?"

"Of course" she said as she handed them some food and rinks.

"Thanks"

"Don't mention it. Hey, does Natsu need help? He doesn't look too good"

"Hm? Oh he's just tired is all"

"Well I think I can help both of you a little"

Calling upon her magical power, she released healing energy into their bodies that immediately made them feel better.

"There, that should help him though I'm not sure why he isn't waking up" the girl pondered.

"Don't worry Wendy I bet he's just dreaming" reassured Erza.

"I guess you're right. Well I have to go now. Take care!"

"You too"

Wendy returned to helping others and Erza returned to her peaceful break but soon her mind wandered from the peaceful scenery to the invaders. Particularly, on the battle 9 days ago.

'No matter how many times I review that battle, I can help but be amazed. The level of planning, the skillful manipulation, and the clockwork execution. Never had I felt so….outplayed before. His strategy is without flaw'

'What's his goal? Why is he doing this? What's making him do this?'

'Whatever it is, I can't let him destroy this place. I can't let him destroy our home!'

…

'But….that means I'll have to fight him. Can I win? Can I even beat him? Can I…. can I even do it?'

The doubts started to creep in to every corner of her mind. Every detail of the battle led her to asking more questions, making assumptions, wondering if such assumptions were silly or a realization that she was way out of her leauge, and so on.

It would have weighed heavily on her if another weight didn't counter balance it.

The weight of Natsu's head falling on her lap.

It was enough to break her out as the sight of the sleeping Dragonsalyer brought out warm memories from the deepest place in her heart to counter the dark doubts.

Under the tree in an open field with the sun shining high, it reminded Erza of that memory in the forest when it was just her and Natsu. No people, no towns, no monsters (surprisingly), no duties, no quests, just the two of them locked in peaceful serenity and childlike bliss.

Strange…..

Out of all the things to happen to her in captivity, it was that specific memory that stuck with her throughout and now she was in a way reliving that same memory.

As if it was some grand orchestration by fate.

She gave a slight chuckle at the thought as she gently caressed the head of the sleeping Dragonslayer.

Her fingers ran through his pink locks in return for her motherly touch they rewarded her by feeling like silk. Erza knew that Natsu's hair was smooth but now that there wasn't soap or water in the way she was surprised as to how smooth it was and it was the kind that would make any girl jealous.

In response the Dragonslayer cuddled on her lap and let out a smile. Not his usual goofy smile but a smile that was usually reserved in the presence of good dreams.

Then right there, everything faded. The surroundings disappeared in a warm fuzzy haze until it was again nobody but her and Natsu under a tree with the wind gently blowing. It was their own little world, a world she had not been to in a long time, a blissful Eden that brought her the purest serenity and quenched her troubled soul.

In here she could be at peace and with Natsu at her side she felt safe, safer than any armor she had or would ever have.

Alas, such a peace cannot last forever in this cruel world as a spear landing to her side broke her from her trance.

"Oh my I am sooooooo sorry! My friend over there has two left hands!"

"Huh?" she was taken out of her bliss so quick that it took a while for the spear right next to her to register.

"Oh no it's okay. Keeping a grip on a spear is trickier than it looks. Just tell your friend to improve his technique or if he has the jewels to spend them on sturdy leather gloves "

"Will do!" the man dislodged the spear from the ground and ran back to his friend while complaining.

It was probably time she got back to training too. She grabbed the Drgaonslayers hair and swung his head to the tree since she knew all too well how hard it was to wake him up.

Was it harsh? Maybe. Was it effective? Definitely.

"Grryeahha!" he screamed.

"Rise and shine Natsu"

"Do you have to do that every time you wanna wake me up?"

"Do you have to be such a heavy sleeper everytime?"

"Heh, fair point"

"Well now that we're rested I say we can continue with training"

"Grk!" the Drgaonslayer started sweating beads and was deciding if he should knock himself out to save himself. I mean there was a tree nearby...

"Don't worry Natsu, it's your favorite part: sparring"

"Oh, why didn't you say so? Now I'm all fired up!"

"That's the spirit!"

They surveyed the field and found the perfect spot to fight. It was wide, open, and dead center of all the training troops.

"So Erza, what will it be this time or are we going for the usual?"

"The usual. I need to see your improvement after all"

"Huh, fine by me" the mage took a stance and set his hands ablaze.

"You're not equipping a weapon?" the Dragonsalyer asked.

"Not yet. After all you need every advantage you can get " she replied with a bit of a snarky tone

"Heh? You're sounding a bit arrogant Erza maybe the fame's finally got to your head"

"It's not arrogance when you know you can back it up"

"Well let's see if that arrogance gives me a blindspot"

"Another advantage you're going to need"

"Oh you're on!"

The two stood a good distance away from each other and none of them budged. Both were waiting on each other to break the stand-off and it was no surprise that it was Natsu.

He quickly hurled a Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame at Erza who dodged it without effort and despite the distance quickly closed the gap and landed a solid blow that launched the Drgaonsalyer a good distance back.

Undeterred the Drgaonslayer recovers mid-air and launches another Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame just before landing on his feet.

Natsu was quick but not quick enough to catch Erza off guard.

She ducked and felt the fire cinder a few of her hairs before she charged at him agian.

She grabs a shield that was just lying there and tosses it at the Drgaonsalyer who avoided the spinning projectile by jumping up high into the air and retaliating by launching multiple, tiny fireballs at once.

Though not as large as a full on Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame they covered a very wide area that would be risky to run out of.

Impressed by the seemingly new spell she decided to test its power and block it head on.

The multiple explosions were enough to catch the attention of all the troops who stopped their traiing and gathered to watch the magical spectacle.

"Woah the two mages are fighting!"

"I gotta see this!"

"Wohoo! Go red haired one!"

"No way the pink guy is using magic! She doesn't have a chance!"

"I'm wagering jewels on the red haired one!"

"I'm doubling on the red one. She is THE Erza Scarlet, Queen of Fairy Tail, after all!"

"You're on!"

And just like that their sparring match became a spectacle sport with cheers and bets going on between the soldiers.

Erza emerged from the smoke scratched but smiling. She didn't mind the crowd or the attention (she secretly loved it)but she would have to take their safety into account just in case Natsu goes too wild.

"Impressive but are you trying to tickle me?"

"If you think that was funny then you'll enjoy my next joke!" still in the air Natsu launched another barrage of which Erza actually tried to dodge this time.

Running quickly in between the spaces of the small fireballs, she charged towards where Natsu was landing and in a panic he launched a Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame directly beneath him.

It was then Erza's turn to jump into the air to avoid the explosion and Natsu was hoping for it. He launched a second Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame at her.

Slightly caught off guard she instinctively summons a sword and just as the fireball approached cut it in half all to the cheer of the soldiers.

However Natsu expected as much and with a Talons of the Fire Dragon launched himself at her and punched her hard down unto the ground.

Unlike Natsu ,who was clumsy in his landings, Erza displayed an elegance and flexibility as she summersaulted in the air and landed like a feather.

The Dragonsalyer pushed the attack and forced the match into a CQC one.

Erza obliged and threw her sword aside as she answered the Drgaonsalyers challenge in kind

Flaming hands and metal fists clashed in a blinding flurry as neither could get a blow in.

However somewhere along the foray Natsu was able to gradually land one after the other until finally Erza was on the defensive.

The Dragonslayer smeled blood and increased his attacks in both speed and ferocity as it looked like he was finally going to beat THE Erza Scarlet. The thought alone gave him a happy and somewhat psychotic face as he continued pounding her.

Take note though : thought

Erza knew him well, too well. She knew that like a true Dragon he would go for the first sign of weakness and attack it with a fury. Though a good strategy in general, it is easily exploitable for one with both the will and the experience both of which Erza had plenty of.

With a bit of acting on her part her body language goaded the Dragonsalyer into landing that final, epic blow and he took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

His greatest weapon: his tenacity was the perfect weapon for Erza to use as she rolled out of the finishing blow, grabbed his head faster than he could blink and smacked him hard back down into the cold ground of reality that was his defeat.

That would've been the end were it not for that same tenacity compelling Natsu to launch his signature breath move.

Erza released the head just as the stream was unleashed and Natsu capitalized on the distraction by doing a flare and tripping Erza.

Caught off guard she instinctively blocked as the Drgaonslayer quickly got to his feet and punched her a good distance away.

She did her own crazy move as well and windmilled herself easily into a standing position.

By the time she did though Natsu was already about to launch another Roar of the Fire Dragon.

Luckily her sword was nearby nearby.

The Drgaon unleashed his breath and having just enough time to grab it reverse style, she pulled of what could be the most amazing feat of the match: she split the breath with her sword as she ran towards Natsu to bring the sharp, tempered steel to the Drgaonslayers soft, fleshy neck .

As a coup de grace and one last show for the crowd she quickly tripped Natsu and pointed the sword to his throat.

"I win"

The match was over and Erza had won…. again.

The crowd cheered and while some were collecting their bets Erza applauded Natsu.

"Not bad, Natsu. I can really see the improvement"

"Thanks ! I still didn't win though"

"What was that move you used earlier? The one with the many fireballs?"

"It's still not final but I'm calling it Fire Dragon Hornet Stings"

"Impressive"

"Not as impressive as what you did to my Roar of the Fire Dragon with you sword! How did you do that?"

"Well it's simple: If you can't take it head on deflect it or in my case split it" she said as she offered her hand to help him up.

"Huh… Weird. That Exyle guy said something very similar" he grabbed her hand and got himself up.

"He did?"

"Yeah , during our fight except he did it with his hands"

"His hands? You didn't tell me that"

"Yeah I… didn't really want to talk about it"

"Hmmm... his hands huh? Interesting"

"More like annoying. I mean how in Igneels name did he do that?! His hands should be charcoal!"

"Well however he did it, you did great today Natsu. I'm very proud of you"

"Gehee! I'll beat you next time Erza!"

"I'll be looking forward to it"

With a good handshake it was a perfect way to end training and return to the city for some rest when from out of nowhere a large boom was heard in the sky. A few moments later a soldier came in screaming.

"Everybody, get back to the city! Something is happening!"

Thinking the town was under attack, they all got their gear and hurried back.

Natsu ran ahead but Erza took one last look before leaving the warm, idyllic scenery behind and archived the recent memory as she donned yet again her armor to face the cold and cruel world.

...

...

...

* * *

When it rains what comes to your mind?

Certainly to those who frequent the outside world it is irritation.

To the child it is a shower of joy.

For the everyday man toiling for a living it is at best a distraction.

To those that till life from the ground it is joy sent from the heavens.

For the inside creature it is a melancholic tune that lulls to sleep.

To the bookworm it is a welcome guest.

For the sad it is a veil to cover their sorrow from the world.

The rain means a vast number of things for just as vast number of people and all is in one way or another known.

But paper rain? Yeah , totally new

…

I'm being serious. As serious as can be.

As in when they all arrived in town it was seriously raining actual, stuff you draw and write on paper.

"Who's willing to bet the guy in charge of the origami department ran out of ideas because these are the blandest snowflakes I've ever seen" said one soldier.

"Summer began a month ago" replied another.

Despite the playful banter, everyone was genuinely baffled at the spectacle.

"Um….Erza?" asked Natsu.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Are you seeing-"

"Yes"

"Does it rain-"

"Of course not"

"Okay but then how-"

"I don't know"

"*sigh* Things are getting so coinsuring!"

"Let's all report back to the commander"

Making their way through the paper snow they arrived at Onibus theater where everybody was just as confounded as they were.

"Good, you're all here" said Lahar.

"We heard a noise and thought the city was being attacked" said Erza.

"You heard it too?"

"Yes"

"Levy?" asked Gray.

"No book says anything about paper rain" she replied.

"Maybe it's a weird from of large snow" suggested Happy.

"Happy, summer officially began not too long ago. Honestly to even suggest such a thing…" said Carla.

'Raining paper…..now why does this seem so familiar?' it was at the tip of his tongue but Pantherlilly just couldn't say exactly how.

Upon closer inspection they found the papers to be blank. Not just a few but all of them.

Yet the mystery only depend as something odd happened.

The papers began to write on their own.

The ink , bleeding from the paper, danced across its surface with clear intelligent intent and from the hand of its invisible author came out flowing shapes and strange but intricate letters.

Some feared it to be the work of ghosts, others thought mischievous demons were afoot, but all shared in the confusion and fear of this supernatural phenomenon.

When the ink had stopped one poor sod decided to pick up one of the papers.

Confused and slightly scared he handed it over to commander Lahar.

"Now what could this be?" he examined every inch the paper but couldn't make sense of it. The Fairy Tail crew all scooched over to take a peak.

Though the shapes and symbols were as foreign as can be, the closest guess they had was that it was a poster of sorts just from the general structure alone.

The problem was that it featured nothing other than a dull gray in the center.

Just as they thought things couldn't get weirder, they heard a noise. Footsteps to be precise. This wouldn't be strange if not for the fact that nobody was walking.

As it got louder they discovered that it was coming from the paper and thanks to the hundreds raining all around them it was really loud.

Finally the mystery was solved when from out of the side of the paper a figure emerged.

A figure they knew all too well.

" _Denizens of Fiore hear my call,_

 _War rides into your domain and we take the rein as its harbingers. Your outer cities have fallen with ease and your land drowns more from your blood than ours. The path to victory is seldom perfect but every victory is expected and every defeat Pyrrhic. Such shall continue until every last fiber of your will is broken and trampled beneath our boot. The fallen in your city of Magnolia testify to this truth._

 _Yet we are not a wandering horde bent on your utter annihilation when we don't have to be. We are warriors first and mages second. This war is still at its dawn and already you have displayed notable honor and valor. Thus I find it proper and fitting to offer you this: a challenge._

 _One of our many customs is to solve problems not just with tongue but by combat and as the Right Hand of the emperor and the leader of the Black Hand I invoke the highest form of the latter: Mak Tu Sei Ra: A trial of honor between our best._

 _Claim victory and by our traditions I shall retreat from your lands and not return for at least one year and by no means lay any harmful hand on you. A more than ample time to recover the devastating yet contained damage inflicted. We may also leave riches for you to use rebuilding. When the year comes to pass we may either return to continue or if the winds of war blow differently then we shall not. We may even return to seek your hand as allies. Fate is a fickle mistress after all so what she offers is never known._

 _I as the one who made this call shall do everything within my power to ensure that you shall be given your due in the trial. This I swear._

 _However, should you choose to engage in Mak Tu Sei Ra then you are bound by honor and know that should you claim defeat then you are all to surrender to the Imperium. Fail to do so and you shall be labeled as Ya Ta Jua : Trophies to be hunted. A still glorious but brutal end._

 _Come to our Ampa Collosia and fight for all citizens of the Imperium to see. This message will help guide your steps._

 _Rise Fiore! Call upon your most skilled of warriors! Hire your most devious of rouges! Summon your most powerful of magi! Deploy your most veteran of generals! Resurrect your greatest of legends! Send your most loyal of servants! Unleash your bravest of heroes!_

 _Carry this message to every city, every town, every temple, every cave, every hamlet, every prison, and every home! Carry it to the four corners of this land so that all may hear! Prove you are worthy to keep your land! Seven days and seven nights we shall wait for you and then we fight!_

 _The call has been made and the ravenous gods of war hunger for glory!_

 _MAK TU SEI RA!_ "

With his speech over, Exyle burned from view and with his last words still ringing in all their ears his place was taken over by a map of Fiore with a glowing red dot in Magnolia. Most likely where this Collosia is.

"Say what you want about the guy he knows how to hype something up" said Gajeel.

He wasn't wrong. What they all just saw was something akin to a commercial for the GMG (Grand Magic Games) but better in every way and on literal, no-nonsense, actual paper! They were all amazed but no one was more amazed than Levy.

"How…." She yanked the paper from commander Lahars hands.

"How did he DO THAT?! That's only possible through runes or lacrima but I'm not seeing any! Is it integrated into the paper? No it feels normal. Runes? I'm not sensing any. Paper crystal? No don't be silly that's not possible…right? But maybe….?! "

"References! Where?! Now!" she was bit too close for comfort and Lahar, the veteran that he is, was slightly intimidated by the little girl's invasion of his personal space.

"Uhhhh…we don't have any in the base but there's a library down the-" before he could she ran off faster than he has seen anybody run.

"-street. Excuse me what was that?"

"Oh boy Levy is in her 'Don't bother me I'm curious' mode again. I'll make sure she doesn't forget to sleep or eat ….or both" Lucy ran off with her and with the strange scenario passed they foused back on the message.

"Well…that happened. Now back to this. Does anyone have an idea what this is about?" asked Lahar.

"I think I do. This is a propaganda drop. Used to do it a lot back in my Edolas days" replied Pantherlilly.

"What do you mean?"

"Ever heard the saying knowing is half the battle? Well sometimes in attempts to pacify far off villages or freak out enemy populations the king would order me to misinform the populace about things like 'fearsome hakabuns invading' or that the 'islands would collapse if you did not pay your tithes'. Most of it was a complete lie but most people didn't know that and the conflicting information did its job"

"So this is propaganda?"

"'I'm not sure. I've dropped flyers, started rumors, and even made fake broadcasts but this doesn't seem like any of that. I think this challenge is real"

"What if it's a trap?" Gray asked.

"It could be but I don't think it is" the Exceed replied.

"Why?"

"He didn't show any signs oy lying and I feel like he's telling the truth "

"And you would trust him? Just like that? Need I remind you he slaughtered our allies and was even proud of it in the message?"

"True but he did keep us alive and he kept his word to Erza when he could've easily finished both of us off. Besides I've had my fair share of challenges during in the army and in my conquests. I know when it's real "

"With all due respect I have to go with the ice mage. This sounds too good to be true….But if it is then this is our best chance to stop this invasion before it gets way out of hand. The problem is where do we get 'our best' in under week? Even the Grand Magic games takes months to prepare" said Lahar.

"I think we can help you with that" said a voice from out of nowhere

When they all turned to look there was Makarov approaching from down the street accompanied by Master Ooba Babasaama and Master Bob, the guild masters of Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus respectively.

There weren't even words as the Fairy Tail crew rushed to meet their master and shower him with hugs.

"Ohhhh my children. It felt like an eternity since I last saw you. Are you all here? Are you all okay? " just like the grandfather figure that he was he couldn't stop but ask questions about the well being of his "children".

"There you guys are! I told you not to leave Lamia Scale territory until we had further information from the capital! Did you have a death wish?! Do you have any idea how worried to death I was?!" meanwhile Ooba was the cranky old grandma as she spun all her mages out of frustration and worry but she too was glad that they w ere okay.

"Ichiya darling! It's so glamorous to see you alive and with such poise! Did you fight hard and strong?" said Master Bob while doing a fabulous pose.

"Yes my fabulous Master! We fought with a grace and style fitting for Blue Pegasus! Alas we did not win but we were gracious even in defeat! Isn't that right my lovelies? MEN!" he said as he and his "lovelies" did fabulous poses in return.

"*ahem* Yes I'm happy to see you all alive as well masters but we can celebrate after we win the war"

The masters displayed their maturity well by immediately responding to the commander and returning to their serious mode.

"Yes and it's good to see you alive too Lahar. We came here as soon as you called us" said Makarov.

"Called you?" asked Erza.

"We were being deployed back here originally but when we got Lahars message we decided to pick up the pace"

"And I'm glad you did. Take a rest for an hour or so while I clear up some things with high command and then come to the theater, all of you"

After he left the mages and their masters had a lot of catching up to do. Lucy was even able to drag back Levy after she had run through every book in the library and found nothing. Each master told of their encounters with the invaders just like old veterans and when they were done our mages told them of their experience in the now infamous Battle of Magnolia. None was more surprised than Makarov when he heard about the Gildarts Shift and how it was basically perverted into something so twisted in order to win the battle. He was sickened but also a little impressed.

The hour passes and they are all enter the theater. Lahar orders all the guards inside to leave before activating the communications Lacrima and revealing Hyberion at the other end.

"Okay now that you're all here we can discuss this matter further. First, a debriefing. Erza tell them everything you told me "

She complied and thanks to her perfect memory (because of course she has perfect memory I mean why wouldn't she?) she recounted every last detail down to the exact contents of her meals and every casual conversation she had.

When she was done everybody, even her friends whom she told earlier, were speechless. They had many questions but two matters in particular stood out.

"Repeat that again Erza: he did what to your memories?" asked a concerned Makarov.

"Ripped them out but the more I say it the more I don't think ripped is the right word but it's something similar"

"Then how are you still able to remember anything?"

"I don't know. He said it wouldn't be painful and it wasn't but it was really exhausting. The more it happened though the more I got used to it and from what I observed I'm still able to remember things. So in a way he looked like he was ripping them out but I think he was maybe copying them? "

"Ohhhh Maky, this memory taking spell sounds sooooooooooooo scary. He could know your darkest secrets and I can't bare to be embarrassed!" added Bob (ironically).

"Makarov, I've never heard of this kind of magic before. I didn't even think it was possible especially when there are ghosts involved" said a worried Ooba.

"Neither did I. To reach into basically your soul and take every memory you have like a trinket. The prospect of what this could do especially if there are more ominous goals in mind… That alone without knowing anything else makes our enemy more dangerous than we could've feared"

"Indeed master. This ability puts all of us at risk and to be honest it put a slight chill down my spine when I first heard of it" said Lahar.

"In that case surrender no longer becomes an option for us. If things get worse we might have to kill our own troops just to hide our secrets" suggested Hiberion.

"I'll make sure it never comes to that. I said they were more dangerous not invincible" Makarov replied immediately and with conviction. He would not allow the slaughter of his fellow countrymen.

"For all our sakes, I really hope you do"

"Now then, speaking of slaughter, Erza how could you and a division of Fioren soldiers fall into such a trap? Surely someone must have noticed the illusion?"

"Which bring us to another concern I have. Fried I didn't think much of it back then but when we entered Magnolia I saw something strange with the runes. I got a closer look at the ones in my cell and saw the same thing" she said.

"What did you see?" he asked.

"The runes...they had like runes floating around them. They looks similar to the main one but were slightly different. Basically the runes had runes for themselves if that makes any sense"

The rune mage tried to make sense of what she was saying and after a while his eyes lit up as he finally knew what she was talking about.

"Could it be?... No that's impossible….But her definition fits a lot of the categories…..but still pulling that of…"

"Fried? What do you know?"

"I'm not so sure myself and until I see any of his runes again I can't be sure but….."

"But?"

"What you're describing is something we rune mages call Verzweigung"

"What's Verzweigung?"

"Runes are basically symbols of magical power used to attain a certain effect. Imagine a rune as a tree trunk. The tree gathers the resources from the soil so when written right the rune gathers magic to achieve the intended effect almost all the time. It's solid and reliable. Now all tress have trunks and all trees have branches extending from those trunks. In rune magic, what the rune is intended to do is what the rune is intended to do. One effect per rune that's why there's so many runes. The trunk is the whole tree. Verzweigung attempts to extend that trunk by giving it more parts so it could 'catch more magic' and do more while still relying on the main rune just like branches do for a tree. Each branch may be different and may do different things but they still rely on the main trunk or rune for support"

"That sounds complex"

"And difficult, very difficult. Most rune mages don't even think it's possible and most can't come close to doing it. The few masters who could somewhat do it all say it's unstable and that you're better off casting another rune. Nobody has figured out how to connect two different runes without both of them competing for magic and eventually causing at best an explosive discharge hence the unstable or one rune overpowering the other and draining the magic thus making the other rune pointless. Not only that it effectively doubles the magic and focus needed for one rune the magic for one rune. There are a myriad of other problems but those are the most prominent ones and that's why at this point is highly theoretical"

"And yet there it was, real as day. Being casted from every step that he made"

"Yes and that's what makes it worrying. It implies that his people's magical knowledge is far beyond ours"

"Still, that doesn't explain why my eye couldn't see through the illusions. I was able to see through Midnight's illusions and they were powerful"

"Technically if the illusion magic is powerful enough your eye can't get past sheer volume of magic emanating from it. Though since you described Verzweigung I have to ask how many other runes did you see from the main one? "

"About three? Maybe four? And the illusion was different for both me and Natsu"

"Then in that case you're eye couldn't see through the illusion because there were too many layers of illusions on top of each other to see through. At best your eye could maybe get past one"

"Huh… a layered deception. Very clever"

"Very clever indeed but we have another matter at hand: this letter of challenge" interjected Hiberion.

"Indeed Master Hiberion. Though I am curious as to how this is done and to why it loops every hour or so, my bigger question is why this is only in our town" said Makarov.

"In truth this scenario also happened here in the capital not too long ago . We have reports from the other masters and our scouts that it's also happened in every major city in Fiore"

"It has? What's the king's response?" asked Ooba.

"He has already going through with it"

"With all due respect Master Hiberion, the king decided too quickly! I still hold that this could be a trap!" interjected Gray.

"And you are right for thinking so Gray Fullbuster but with the *ahem* setbacks concerning Operation Dragonlance our troops and our citizens are highly demoralized. This spectacle could, if true, give us the morale boost we require and the time to regroup our army to think of a more careful plan of attack. If not then a chance to end this war quickly "

"Despite how much I agree with Gray, if the king decided it then we can't do anything about it lest we commit treason. So Master Hiberion, how exactly will this play out?" said Makarov.

"We were discussing among the council and so far we're thinking about treating it like the Grand Magic Games"

"So only us mages go in then?"

"So far. There is also discussion in hiring the non-magical guild for participation and even…" he hesitated for a moment

"Sending out contracts and pardons to the not so legal guilds and organizations"

"So we're sending everybody?"

"Not quite. I've suggested the generals not go and maintain their positions"

"Why? Wasn't the challenge extended to them as well?" asked Erza.

"It was but if this remains to be a trap then the command structure could at least stay intact"

"While we the mages are sacrificed. That's cold" she replied slightly angry that they were being seen as pawns to be sacrificed

"You can think of it that way or you can think of it in this: should this be a trap then we can 'clean' some potential stains from our side and us being mages would have a higher survival and escape chance compared to if we just send normal people like our generals. Is it cruel? In a way but so is war , Erza Scarlet"

She didn't say anything even if the logic was sound.

"We are already beginning preparations to find our 'best'. Master Makarov, Master Ooba, Master Bob. Your guild is the closest and as such you will be the first to send your S-class mages to this Ampa Collosia. Take a Lacrima crystal there and inform us of what you see"

"Will do, Master Hiberion" they all replied.

"Be careful Masters, the fate of Fiore lies in your hands. Stay vigilant and take care "

With the vampire (he's obviously a vampire) mage gone, the masters went through the controversial process of selecting their best mages but instead of sending them off to glory it felt like they were sending them off to die .

Finally it was decided: Master Bob would take Ichiya, Master Ooba would take Lyon and Yuka, and Makarov had no other choice but to take Erza.

It was decided and even after a night of their friends begging them to reconsider and arguing out the dangers of it all by noon the next day the chosen were all ready to leave.

"Master please take me with you! I'm an S-class mage too!" begged Mirajane for the last time.

"It's for that fact that I'm leaving you here. You're still not fully recovered and should something happen to us then I'm leaving the guild in your hands as the new guild master"

"Don't say that master! You will come back! Nobody will ever replace you!"

"Don't worry, they won't. It's just a precautionary measure. I promise all of you that we will come back"

"Master Makarov, on behalf of the Onibus division and the Fioren military we thank you" Lahar gave him his most respectful salute and so did all the gathered soldiers who all responded with an ET UT VICERET!

So after the mages all said their goodbyes to their fellow guildmates they went on their way but not before Natsu called out Erza for one last message.

"Hey Erza!" he shouted to the top of his lungs.

The Scarlet looked back and as their eyes connected for just a second Natsu gave her his most confident and goofiest smile yet.

"Punch him real hard in the face for me!"

With a smile she gave him and all of the Fairy Tail salute and as they disappeared from the horizon that smile was the last thing she saw.

...

...

...

* * *

Home is where the heart is and it's a good thing that isn't practical advice since I can't for the life of me imagine what living inside a gooey, icky chest is like. It would be weird at best.

It was that kind of weird feeling that our chosen felt when they walked up the ramp (most likely an addition by the invaders) into Magnolia. Though the familiar territory gave a sense of home the eerie silence coupled with the ruined homes and abandoned streets that greeted them home was disheartening.

The piece that won the match still stood there as the city was still in its Gildarts Shift mode along with the poor unfortunate souls that became its gruesome décor.

Master Bob couldn't help but vomit, Master Ooba looked on the brink of a heart attack and though Makarov stood strong he was undoubtedly shaken to his core.

The layout was entirely different from the usual Gildarts Shift setup so they had to follow the map and after not encountering a single soul they finally reached their destination, the center of the city, where the entire invading force for Magnolia seemed to be.

"I wasn't expecting guests so early. Then again you are deployed in Onibus which isn't too far from here" said a familiar voice that Erza recognized.

With a swish of his cape he turned to face them and even if Erza had seen him up close she along with her companions who were seeing the masked interloper for the first time couldn't help but be immersed in his presence.

"Exyle Night, I presume?" asked Master Makarov, breaking the ice.

"And to you, Master Makarov, I presume the same?"

"How did you-?"

"My spies tell me of your reputation"

"You sure work fast"

"I must. This is a Blitzkrieg after all"

"And what is that?"

"All in due time but for now let's just call it the literal translation: Lightning War"

"That still doesn't explain much"

"That's rather the point"

"Blah, blah, blah! Fancy words and dramatic introduction but where's this Collos-whatever you said we had to go to or is this really a trap?" said an irritated Ooba.

"I assure you it is not"

"Then where is it?!"

"Well you're in luck. It should be arriving….right now"

"Preparing Magical index!" shouted one of the soldiers as they all mobilized with a rehearsed efficiency to their positions.

"Begin manna transfer!" he shouted again as some soldiers casted runes in mid-air in front of 6 lacrima crystals growing out of the ground.

"Synchronize magical transfer in 5….4…3….2…1…. Enchant!" they all did in unison and as the crystals glowed they released a beam from their apex that converged on one point on the ground. The beams then zipped around and drew a giant magical circle.

Before our chosen even realized what was happening a massive structure began to rise from the circle.

"Commence binding to earth!" he yelled as the soldiers began wrapping huge chains around the Centrions and as the structure continued to rise around anchor points on the structure.

Our chosen questioned this action but saw that the chains were to keep the structure on the ground as it began to rise up higher and higher, finally coming to a stop as the Centrions ran around the crystals and the chains were secured by the invaders and Dragoons.

When all the commotion was done what stood before our heroes was a true Wonder of the Magical world.

A structure in size and grandeur that they have never even dreamed off.

From the pillars gold and the angular shapes that made it look like a weapon to the devious to malicious giant masks adorning its sides and the many floating runes that seemed to fly around like flies it was both impressive and imposing.

"This way please" he said as one of the masks opened its mouth with mist and steps dropping out of it.

Exyle beckoned them to follow and without saying anything they did.

They entered the demonic mouth and came across a menacing looking doors (thanks to the ruby eyes and the ebony carving).

The masked man opened them with ease, unafraid to the angry visage looking at all of them and as the doors swung open they were greeted with an even grander sight.

"Welcome challengers of Mak tu Sei Ra to the Ampa Collosia!" from a main hall and ceiling that seemed to stretch on forever to the many doors, furniture, floors, and magical … everything around them it was a testament to Imperium power, wealth, and mystery.

"It's just like that time in that foreign magical festival where the tents were bigger inside than they looked outside" said Makarov to no one in particular.

"If you may, please follow me. You can enjoy the scenery once I escort you to your section"

Though still amazed at everything they followed and soon came upon statues that littered the very wide halls.

"Now what are these statues for?" said Erza aloud.

"These statues, Miss Erza, are the eternal testament to those who partook in Mak Tu Sei Ra and with them the foe who gave them their victory. Each statue is not only a work of stone that stands the test of time but also a work of art as with a simple twist of the crystal they come to life in color and sound for all to see without the need for imagination the moment of their triumph as it was at the time"

"I told you to just call me Erza and why are there so many of them?"

"Many have made the call in ages past Erza and many of them are ours. Yet there stand a few that tell of our enemies triumph. As I said in Mak Tu Sei Ra you are given your due . There is no shame in defeat to those with honor as both the winner and loser leave with heads held high in pride and eternal glory for them to tell of for generations….should death does not claim either or both"

They seemd to walk endlessly until finally the stopped at two grand and guilded doors.

When he opened it the room inside was wide enough to fit the entire guild. It was clean and very spacious. There was a balcony or more of balconies and the beds looked royally comfy and had curtains if you wished some privacy. In a way it was almost like a fancy hotel.

"These shall be your quarters for the remainder of the Mak Tu Sei Ra. Should you wish to train then the dojo will be at the first floor. Simply ask the attendant where and she shall direct you. Meals shall be held at 8 A.M – 10 A.M for the early birds, 11 A.M to 2 P.M and 6 P.M – 8 P.M in the main dining hall . Should you wish for extra food then simply take as much food as you can carry back to your quarters though I would advise against eating too much before a match or before bed. Please engrave all your names on that monolith with the sword provided and then you are free to wander the halls as much as you wish . Feel free to ask our attendants almost anything. They will be happy to entertain you"

"I have a question, are those lacrima just decoration or are they there to watch us?" said Erza as she pointed out many hidden lacrimas.

"A keen eye Erza. Those are there for us to monitor you and to ensure you do not destroy too much of the Collosia. This place is very expensive after all and the imperial coffers and taxpayers aren't unlimited"

"So you can study our every move then?"

"Watching and doing are two very completely different things Erza. We can make all the observations we wish yet it would do little if any to prepare us for the real match. Seeing a strong man punch doesn't prepare you for how hard his punch is until it lands on you "

"Good point"

"Now please do enjoy. Since you are the first to arrive then the dining area is all yours for the afternoon. Six more suns and six more moons we shall await for every challenger of the land and then the gods of war can get their show. Good day"

As he closed the door behind them , everybody explored the room and the wonders it held while Erza and Makarov wondered whether this palace of grandeur would become their gilded tomb.

...

...

...

* * *

 **Huzzah! It is done! I hope you found it entertaining and with any hope you will see another one shortly after!**

 **Until then, please comment...anything! It would be appreciated!.**

 **So with that I bring to you another end to this part of our play.**

 **Feel free to praise, criticize, or mindlessly bash as you see fit and until our next performance farewell**


End file.
